For Rel
by Sulia Shincho
Summary: Lena runs away, Heero wants to get her back, simple right? No! Thinking a bit is required. Finished!
1. Escape

For Rel

Note:  I realize that many people have done Relena-runaway stories, but I'm not going to do something really clichéd.  NO!  I want you all to do a bit of thinking for this fanfic of mine, so don't leave your brain behind somewhere.

In the small England town, not far from London, there was almost no sign of life in any of the house in the wee morning hours, except for the one light coming from an elegant Victorian house.  Inside that one lighted room, the kitchen, sat a honey blond young woman sitting on one of the counter twirling her hair around her finger as she idly conversed with the person on the other line.  On her lips was a blissful smile that only came to her when she had been 15 years old and Heero would just pop out of the blue to see her in his mysterious way, but now it only came when she could have a long conversation like this with one of her very long termed friends.

With Heero gone for the evening since seven o'clock and leaving Duo in charge of Relena's safety.  Never the smartest idea, for that was always how Relena got these few conversation. Which had actually been becoming more frequent as well as Heero's absences at night on the weekends.  Not that she minded the more talks with her old friend, since she felt the need to vent to someone and that someone was not Heero.  In the beginning, when Heero first started being her head bodyguard four months earlier, until about six weeks ago than she noticed that she was only annoying him.  In order to spare him, she didn't bother him with such trivial things such as what was bothering her, anything about the leaders of the colonies or countries on earth that annoyed her, or even about her dreams.

"Hey, Adam, can I call you back later?  …Yeah, I hear Heero coming up the drive…Of course not!  He'd take your name, age, and location than do a background check on you.  In the end he would scold me for even talking with you.  …I wish sometimes, just to get away from it all and see how well people can maintain this peace without me.  …I've got to go now!  …Yup, bye…"  Hanging up the phone on the receiver, Relena crept up to the kitchen window, which gave her a clear view of Heero and a girl walking up to the front door.

Watching with squinting eyes, Relena watched as Heero gently caressed the woman's cheek and than smiled slightly at her.  Next thing Relena knew was that she saw them kissing.  In the beginning it was an innocent, gentle kiss, but than it turned a passionate, hungry kiss.

Eyes wide, Relena jumped away from the window, as if it were in flames.  _Was I dreaming, or was that Heero kissing some woman?_ wondered Relena questioning what her eyes had just seen.  _Even if he did why should I truly give a damn?  It's not like he ever really showed me that I was more than a tool of peace to him, or that he felt more than a sense of protection or caring towards me.  So, really why?  I was over him…when he wasn't around._

The door opened and closed, interrupting Relena's musing, and than Heero appeared in the kitchen doorway with a tiny, thin smile that faded away into his normal, expressionless mask.  On his lips was smeared lipstick, evidence that what Relena saw wasn't a trick of her eyes.  

"What are you doing up?" he questioned glaring slightly at Relena as she grabbed her bottle of coke and had an icy expression on her face.

"Nothing, I just was grabbing something to drink and I had been working, you know something that I do almost everyday of my life now," she answered holding back anger and sarcasm that was demanding release.  "What about you?  Where were you?"

"No where," Heero replied coldly.

_Liar!_ thought Relena bitterly.  "Okay, but just so you know, I don't believe you," shrugged Relena brushing past Heero and making her way out of the kitchen until Heero grabbed her wrist and turned her so that way she was starring into his persian blue eyes.

"Why?"

Leaning closer until her lips were mere millimeters from his, Relena whispered, "Look in the mirror and you shall see what I mean, Heero."  Pulling away from him and wrenching her wrist from his loosened grip, Relena continued on her way out of the kitchen and than headed upstairs toward the rooms.  Tears were starting to sting her eyes until she couldn't take it any longer and decided to let them flow freely down her cheek.

When she entered her room, the first thing she did was grab the teddy bear that Heero had given her for her 16th birthday, and cried into it.  Looking up she glanced over at her phone and recalled what Adam had told her in one of their previous conversations from weeks ago.  _"If it ever gets too much for you or you just need to get away to live a life of your own, give me a call and let me know.  I can get you out of that mess, I'm still in England you know."_

_England…_realized Relena.  _He doesn't live that far from here, in fact he only lives ten minutes away from here.  I could be free from all these politics, free from a life of fear, and free from the heartache Heero causes.  Though, am I ready to leave it all behind?  Yes, yes I truly am ready to leave this behind._  Picking up the phone, Relena dialed her friend's number expertly. 

It rang once, than twice, and than he answered.  "Adam?…It's Relena…yeah, um…I'm ready to go…tonight, if that's alright with you.  …Thank you so much Adam, you have no idea how much this means to me! …Can't wait to tell you. …Okay, I'll see you in fifteen than? …Good…bye." 

Hanging up the phone Relena went into her closet and pulled out a duffle bag of hers.  Setting it on her bed she went straight to her dresser and began packing ten of her favorite shirts, four blouses, four pairs of hip-hugger jeans, and than any other articles of clothing she needed.  Still having room in her bag she packed in it a few pictures of her adoptive family and her, as well as a photo album, than some of her favorite books.  Getting any other essentials from her bathroom and stuffing them into her bag Relena did a mental check list and found that she had everything that she really wanted to keep with her.

"Well, it's really happening to me after all this planning and after all these weeks," she smiled in a nervous yet excited manner as she closed up her duffle bag.  For, unbeknownst, to the two former gundam pilots, now body guards, she had been planning to escape her "normal" life over the past 5 months.  Her plan wasn't "perfect" or very original; it was more or less a very clichéd method of escaping.

Bending down in front of her window, Relena pulled out a switchblade that Wufei had given to her during their last martial arts session, as a form of self-defense weapon.  This may not have been a self-defense situation but she really was grateful for having the switchblade as she looked over the miniature alarm that was attached to the window.  Heero had it installed for protection, incase someone attempted to enter the house through the window.  There was one flaw though, opening the window from the inside also caused the alarm to go off, and so Relena would have to disconnect it without sending off the alarm.  

"Now which one did Heero say that would disconnect it?  If only I had actually been paying attention to him when he was explaining all this to me," complained Relena as she looked back and forth between the red and yellow wires.  "Red or yellow?  Red or yellow?  Gah, who cares?!"  Instead of cutting one wire, Relena cut both of them at the same time, sending off nothing.  "Well, that was easy enough," she sighed opening up the window, sending off no alarm once again.

Going back to her bed she grabbed her duffle bag and tossed it onto her back with it looped over her shoulder.  Originally, she WAS planning to drop the bag, but with Heero up and about that left out that option.  Perching herself on the window sill, Relena leapt for the closest, sturdiest branch, and caught it.  Using her legs she swung herself upwards so that she could sit on the branch and observe her situation.

"Thank you Catherine, for teaching me some acrobatics in May," muttered Relena as she cautiously climbed down the tree, making certain not to move the leaves too much.  On the ground Relena kept low to the ground as she made her way past the parlor and kitchen windows.  No good getting caught now.

Taking a glance around the corner of the house, Relena saw a black Chevy Convertible parked across the street with its lights off but still running.  "A bit early," smirked Relena sprinting to the car, not caring if Heero saw her or not.  Though she did hear the door of the Victorian house open when she got to the passenger side of the Chevy.

"Stop!" she heard Heero hiss as he drew his pistol from the holster inside his jacket.  Without a second thought, Relena got into the Chevy and the driver just took off at lighting speed.  In the background Heero was firing all his ammunition at the Chevy's tires, but not one of them hit their target.  This made him a bit upset.

"Hn…" was all Heero had to say after what happened and than narrowed his eyes at the upstairs half of the house as he went back inside.  "Relena?!"


	2. Verona

For Rel

Note:  Song of the Muse, you will be needing your brain later on, if you want to try to figure out who is Relena that is.  If you don't want to try and figure that out than you don't need your brain, but hey it'll be fun to see if anyone guesses correctly.  Not that I'll tell mind you.

Oh yeah, for those curious readers, Adam is an OC, not a very major one but still an OC none the less.  I should've warned you all that I was going to have a few OCs in here.  No, none of them will be going with the other G-boys, I'm not going to be messing with couples from outside the Gundam Universe.

Five months later, in the bedroom of a hotel room, Heero was busying himself by grabbing his personal items than packing them into his duffel bag.  They, him and Relena's other bodyguards, now knew that it had been Relena who Heero saw leaving the England house grounds.  Ever since than the Preventers had all been searching high and low for Relena by searching for names of people such as Relena Darlian, Relena Marquise, Lena Darlian, Lena Marquise, and her other aliases.  So far, there hadn't been any real solid leads that didn't lead to a dead end.

They had found the black Chevy two months back at a used car dealership.  The name of the previous owner was a fake, and that landed them in a major dead end and back to square one.  Though the salesman did describe a woman that had to have been Relena; honey-blond hair, brilliant sapphire eyes.  Though the salesman stated that her hair was hip length rather than shoulder mid-back, as what if was when she had ran away.

"Buddy, have you ever thought that she doesn't WANT to be found?!" Duo asked through the vid-phone while Heero continued to pack up his bags again.

"Hn.  I don't care, we need her to maintain peace," Heero retorted stuffing his shirts into the bag.

"Peace has been maintained without for the past five months, buddy.  Where have you been?" Duo remarked only to have Heero grunt as a response.  "Want to know what I think?"

"No."

"Too bad, I think you just can't stand the fact that she got away from you, in more ways than one," Duo continued, ignoring Heero completely.  "You know I'm right too, don't deny it buddy for I can see right through you."

"Maxwell, I have Silvia, remember?  Anyways, I'm not going in search of Relena this time.  I'm returning to Earth, to Silvia's hometown, for her birthday.  Want to come?  Sally's dragging Wufei, Catherine's bringing Trowa, and Quatre's coming as well," Heero reminded deciding that it would be best if he changed the topic.

"Sure, me and Hilde will come, though Hilde doesn't like Silvia much," Duo agreed half-heartedly.  "Where?"

"Verona, Italy," answered Heero turning the vid-com off before Duo could ask anymore questions.  Sighing dejectedly, Heero turned to the mirror to find someone who resembled a ghost of himself.  He was pale, drained of most of his color, with large dark circles under his eyes, and all blood shot.  There was no doubt, he needed sleep and a lot of it, but he couldn't until he found Relena again.  "Why did you leave Relena?"

*****

Verona, Italy was very lovely place and the group was attempting to enjoy but there just seemed that something was missing from the group.  It just didn't feel like it was the same as other times like at Catherine's birthday where everyone just went to a carnival.  No, someone rather than something was missing and they all knew who it was, all except for Sylvia, she was oblivious to it all as she led the group around the Piazza Bra where all the place to eat, bars, and venders were set up.

Sylvia led them to a fancy restaurant to eat and ordered the most expensive there for the group to eat.  It really wasn't the same anymore.  Throughout dinner Duo had to be reminded numerous times not to say something such as "not the same without Lena".  Even though the statement was true no one at the table needed to be reminded of how old times were when Relena was around, especially since Heero was going out Sylvia Noventa. 

After dinner, it was Sally who suggested that they go some place a bit less crowded than what that restaurant was and a bit more quiet.  The group agreed with her despite the fact that Sylvia wanted to show them the Arena.  Still she decided to go along with the group and took them to a quaint bar, one where no one cared about your age as long as you paid for the drinks.  

There was a small crowd of at the tables drinking and quietly chatting, so it was fairly quiet.  One bartender was behind the bar cleaning the glasses and giving an acknowledgement nod to the group when they entered.  There were two clean, empty tables nearby where the group decided to sit down.  It smelt of cheap liquor and light scent of smoke, but there was a tint of mint in the air though.

"We'll go get the drinks, right Heero?" offered Duo pulling out a chair for Hilde at the table with Quatre, Catherine, and Wufei. 

"Hn," was Heero's response before going up to the bar with Duo following behind him.

"Can we get four Sprites, three Creams, and two Colas?!" listed Duo to the bartender.

"Sί, comin' righ' up," reassured the bartender with a strong Italian accent.

Three young girls came running up to the bar giggling quietly.  One girl was a pale girl with onyx hair that traveled down to her waist and bright jade eyes, the girl next to her had moss green hair, also waist long, and rich chocolate eyes, than the last girl had golden waist long hair and azure eyes.  They were each wearing a variant of the same outfit, hip-huggers with a shirt that hung off the shoulders that had only tied strings holding up the front.  One could almost think them to be triplets.

"Hey Giorgio, need the five usual, piacere," the onyx haired girl shouted leaning over the counter.

"Sί, signorina, after I'm done with these men and their drinks," grinned Giorgio placing three open bottles of cream sodas on the counter in front of Heero and Duo.

Deciding to be suave, Duo slid down towards the girls catching their attention when he cleared his throat.  "Evening, ladies, so what are three gorgeous ladies, like yourselves, doing in a place like this?" he asked giving them a wink.

The blond one seemed to blush and look away to ignore Duo, while the other two had coy grins on their faces.  "Entertainment, darling, entertainment," answered the onyx haired girl blowing Duo a kiss.

"Seems like your girlfriend is getting quite jealous of your flirtation," the moss green haired girl pointed out gesturing to a fuming Hilde at the table where Duo left her.  

"Also, your friend looks as though he could use some help," winked the black haired girl as she nodded towards the helpless Heero who was grabbing four bottles of soda at a time.

"Here Heero, let me help you there," volunteered Duo grabbing the other five bottles from the counter.  Both of them headed to their tables with the eyes of the black haired girl on them the entire time, assessing them.

*"Egli esso carino," whispered the onyx haired girl to the blond. 

*"Chi?" she asked quietly.

*"Egli con corto, marrone capelli," clarified the black haired girl.

"Here you are girls," Giorgio told them placing a tray of five cups of tea with a honey pot in the center.

"Grazie," spoke up the moss green haired girl paying for the drinks and taking the tray.  "You both know that he probably understood and heard you, right?"

"How?" argued the blond as they walked away.

It was true, both Duo and Heero had heard them talking and both had understood what they said.  "Heero's got an admirer now," teased Duo as he set down the drinks.

"Right Duo," agreed Quatre having also heard the girls' conversation and understanding them.  "That blond girl wasn't exactly a talker, was she?"

"Nope, just blushed and looked the other way when I went up to them," nodded Duo.

"We saw Maxwell," grumbled Wufei, he wasn't fond of being there and he wasn't exactly enjoying his time.  He could probably think of at the very least 50 other things he could and would rather be doing rather than just sitting in a bar, celebrating Sylvia's birthday.

"You've got to admit though, they were cute, eh Wu-tang?" joked Duo passing out the sodas and than sitting down beside Hilde and Quatre, away from Wufei.

"Gr, don't call me that Maxwell unless you want that haircut that you desperately need," warned Wufei narrowing his eyes at Duo.

"I don't think I have ever seen girls like those three here before," commented Sylvia while Heero passed out the drinks than took his place next to her.  "This place doesn't usually get a lot of people, so it's mainly the same crowd but I have never seen them before."

"You've been here before?" asked Sally.

"A few times for my friend, Sage's, birthday party," confirmed Sylvia.  The lights in the bar dimmed and there was movement on the small platform in the center of the bar.  About five figures were moving about on the platform, setting things up for usage.  "Here we go, this is the real reason why I led you all to this bar."

I believe that was how you spoke these sentences in Italian, if I messed up on the sentences tell me how to fix them please.  I really don't speak Italian and the only foreign language I'm good at is Spanish.

* "He is cute."

* "Who?"

* "Him with the short, brown hair."


	3. For Rel

For Rel

Note:  Before I get anymore reviewers get confused, onyx is another word for black.  So, 'the black haired girl' and the 'onyx haired girl' are one and the same.  There aren't four girls.  Just wanted to get that straight.  

**Before I forget, I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters, and I don't own any of the songs in here.  They all go to their own respectable anime.  In short, there are not just Gundam Wing songs.  I just own Adam and any other different characters.**

**WARNING:  Not lemon or anything like that, in this chapter there are song lyrics.  My advise, skip over them, they're just taking up so much space.  They're only there because I couldn't find a way around them.  Sorry, if any of you have an idea how I can get around them, drop me a line than.**

"Now signoras and signores, welcome, to our main event of the evening!  Please welcome the one, the only, 'For Rel'!" an announcer stated through a microphone, which was most likely on the platform.  Following the announcement was the dry applause from the few drunks in the bar.  Even a few of the former gundam pilots and the girls gave a rather lame applause, than again they had no idea what the group was.

"What's so special about this band that you have us see them?" questioned Catherine turning to Sylvia.

"They're one of the very few lyrical bands still left actually.  My friend, Sage, and his brother formed the group with their friends about five or four months ago while in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Than they decided to move here about three months ago to try their songs here, and it turns out that they can bring in quite the crowd," replied Sylvia.

Lights returned to normal when the sound of amps being tune were heard, and on stage were the three girls from earlier along with two African males.  The black haired girl was standing in front of the head microphone, the blond held a Vantage t218 electric guitar, and the green haired girl was standing behind a keyboard.  One of the African boys, one with dozens of tiny braids, had a bass guitar, and the other boy, with dread locks, was seated behind a drum set of six drums and eight symbols.  There were six microphones and stands on the stage, in front of each instrument, including the piano that was off towards the end of the platform.  

No one in the group moved until the electric guitarist started up only to be joined by the drums, than the bass guitar player and the keyboardist.

"Doko ka he ikitai

Da kedo doko he ikeba ii no ka

Wakaranai mama ni

Kyou ga owatte iku yo ne

Hitori de nayande

Migi to hidari to ue to shita to

Kotae wo sagashite

Itsu mo ittari kitari sa

Hitori-botchi de iru to

Minna hanbun ni naru…

Tanoshi koto mo oishii mono mo

Fushigi na kurai dekakete ikou

Kimi to I'll be your friend," sang the onyx haired girl as she grabbed the microphone and moved around in front of the first row of tables, without tangling the cord.  There was a brief singing pause where the lead female singer got back onto the platform and the bass guitar man stepped up to the microphone in front of him.

"Tooku ni kirameku

Yuke wo miagete 'ru bakari da to

Jibun no i-basho wo

Miushinattari mo suru sa

Yozora ha mugen no hoshi wo

Kira-kira Kagayakasete

Kizuite 'nai dake

Kimi no kokoro to onnaji

Dare ka go soba ni iru to

Minna ga hanbun ni naru…"  Once again, the singing switched back to the black haired girl as she returned to her place in front of the first microphone. 

"Kanashii koto mo nayami-goto demo

Fushigi na kurai hagemasareru yo

Shinjite goran mahou ja nakute

Kimi no yasashisa ha subete no chikara

Boku shitte 'ru!"

An instrumental break took place as the electric guitar played a solo part where the drums came in for a few beats every once in a while.  Than the drums really did join in along with the bass guitar and keyboards for the last ten seconds of the twenty-three second break.  Instantly, the song returned to the lead singer.

"Kanashii koto mo nayami-gota demo

Fushigi na kurai hagemasareru yo

Shinjite goran mahou ja nakute

Kimi no yasashisa ha subete no chikara

Boku ha I'm your friend!"

People applauded but not as most people during concerts do after hearing the band or orchestra do a grand performance.  This kind of applause was more like a golfers' applause, soft-almost audible!  About the ONLY person that could be heard in the entire bar was Duo with his whistling and stomping of the feet.  Obviously he enjoyed and wanted to show just how MUCH he had enjoyed the performance.

"Thank you all for your _unenthused _gratitude as always, except for the guy with the braid.  Are you giving out clapping lessons at all?" joked the black haired girl.  "Since we're boring you all, I'll take a short time and introduce ourselves.  I am Draca Ison, lead vocalist, thank you!  On bass we have Adam Cole!"  Adam held up the rock'n'roll signs from the twenty-first century.  "Yeah, he's the insane one.  Than we have our electric guitarist, Lynn Voc.  Say 'hi' Lynn."  

"Are we really THAT boring people?!" Lynn asked through her microphone after playing a few cords.  "Silence is to be taken as a no, than."

"Sage Cole on drum set and small percussion," continued Draca.  Instead of standing up Sage just held up his drumsticks in the form of a cross.  "Not cute Sage, they're not evil!  Last, and the least, Salimar Reigns, our keyboardist and pianist!  I sincerely hope that did just come out correctly and not in some sick form."  Moss green haired girl gave a small bow and than waved.

"Say Heero, did you ever find or get a lead on the Vice Foreign Minister?" Sylvia whispered to Heero, for she knew all about Heero's activities concerning the search for the runaway.

Heero stiffened but kept his expressionless mask on as he replied, "No, we haven't.  What are you suggesting Sylvia?"

"Well, here's my idea; perhaps she had changed her name to something completely undistinguishable and she's staying with friends.  Friends whom you never knew about," explained Sylvia.  In return she just got a disbelieved grunt from Heero, which she nudged him for.  "You never know, it could be very possibly."

"One problem though, there is no person alive with the name Taye Chap, who had owned the house that Relena had called the night she had ran away.  Somehow, don't ask me how, we can't get a hold of the conversation.  Personally I think someone either deleted them from the database or destroyed them," countered Heero.

"Why do you want to find her so badly?" inquired Sally having overheard the conversation.

**I'm ending here for the sake of not boring any of you.  Also, to spare you from more lyrics.  Unfortunately, there's more and I'm still attempting to somehow get around all of that.  Just remember to skip over the lyrics if you don't want to read something useless.  Promise to make the next chapter longer and end this whole bar scene.**

**Guess on who Relena is:**

**Black/onyx haired girl:  2**

**Blond/golden haired girl:  1**

**Moss green haired girl:  0**


	4. Japanese Songs?

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters, and I don't own any of the songs in here.  They all go to their own respectable anime.  In short, there are not just Gundam Wing songs.  I just own Adam and any other different characters.

Again, I sincerely apologize for the stupid lyrics.  Just can't think of a way around them.  So, I ask that you skip them again, if you don't want to read lyrics that is.  Also, I apologize for the overuse of the word sang, such an annoying word to me now. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the band had started up the next song on their agenda before Heero had time to even open his mouth to reply to Sally's question.  Perfect timing too, he had no idea what his reason was going to be, and he knew the whole "we need her to maintain peace" reason was going to be shot down again.  What could he say anyways?  It wasn't like he had a lot of experience during the last three years in communicating any emotion of his, he could communicate to himself for that fact.  All he knew was that he wanted to find Relena, he had to find her in order for his mission to be completed.

"Sou migaki tsuduketa NAIFU no you sa

Kao ga utstteru mado no mukou de

Boko wo neratteru suki wo misetara

Ima ni mo hanesoua na

Sonna haritsumeta PURESSHAA tonari awarse de

Dare yori daitan futeki ni warau

Kitto dare ni totte mo onaji koto daro

I must fight against myself!" started off Adam as a very brief drum and guitar duet took place between Sage and Lynn.  From then the song was turned over to Draca.

"Sou hito ga yosasou na kao de yatte kuru

Totsuzen no higeki mo utagau koto ha naku

Nageku koto sezu damatta mama de us wo miagerun da

Donna arifureta SHIIN mo enji tsudukero

Kitto dare ni totte mo onaji koto daro

You must fight against yourself!"

A much longer and lasting guitar, keyboard, and drum break ensued after Draca finished her last line.  During this time she went up to Salimar and whispered something in her ear, all the while Salimar expertly kept playing her part with the rest of the band.  After Draca told Salimar what she wanted to, Salimar gave her a reassuring nod and than asked Draca to adjust her microphone for her.  Doing so, Draca gave Salimar a thumbs up before leaving the queer color haired girl to return to her microphone. 

"The sun sets and a new day comes

Repeating is one change

Don't avert eyes from differences

Your nerve and soul to the limit

Go forward NOW!" sang Salimar only to have Draca take over the song once again after a very momentary pause.

"Haritsumeta PURESSHAA tonari awase de

Dare yori daitan futeki ni warau

Kitto dare ni totte mo onaji koto daro

I must fight against myself!"  Brief instrumental take, again.

"Kitto dare ni totte mo onaji koto daro

You must fight against yourself!" repeated Draca than the rest of the band hung onto their last note, and Sage did a short roll of the cymbal.

Apparently the music had attracted more people into the bar, for Heero didn't remember seeing about thirty or so people in the bar before.  Almost everyone of them was applauding making it sound like rolling thunder, which was actually amazing to Heero.  One band, that wasn't well known, attracting so many people?!  Unheard of!

"Whoa!  Where the hell did all of you come from?!" Sage cried out as he stood up from behind the drum set and leaned into his microphone. 

"They came to hear Lynn!" answered Adam giving Lynn a playful wink when she turned and glared at him as she adjusted the toning of her guitar.  "Let's turn it down a notch and have Lynn give you all a wonderful experience, eh?"  Most of the men in the bar, including a very over-active Duo was joining in on the cheering for Lynn to sing.  Duo even got Quatre to do a "whoop", once, and it was a very soft one that would never have been heard on the platform.

Salimar started up the next song by playing a series of eighth note cords repeatedly for five seconds than was joined by Lynn while Adam put down his guitar and headed to the back of the stage.  At the same moment, Lynn began singing while Salimar adjusted the keyboard sound to bell chimes.

"Nee, aishitara, daremouga

Konna kodoku ni naru no?

Nee, kurayami yori mo, fukai kurushimi

Dakishimeteru no?

Nanimo kamo ga futari kagayaki tame kitto," vocalized Lynn as Draca entered playing a tambourine, hitting it lightly with her fingers in a claw shape.

"Kimi wo, kimi wo ai shiteru

Kokoro de, mitsumete iru

Kimi wo, kimi wo shinjiteru

Samui yoru mo," all three of the girls sang, each singing on a different key making a cord with their voices.  Following it was a prelude into the next verse.

"Nee, koishite mo, dare inmo itsu ka

Owari ga kuru no?

Nee, aozora yori mo, sunda

Tokimeki suttee shimau no?

Kisetsu kawaru no kaze

Michi wo hashiru, zutto," sung by Draca, having taken over the music as she had a habit of doing, all the while still playing the tambourine.

"Kimi wo, kimi ai shiteru

Kokoro de, mitsumete iru

Kimi wo, kimi wo shinjiteru

Samui yori mo."

Out of nowhere, Adam returned on the stage playing a bagpipe solo with only Lynn as his accomplice while all other instruments were silenced.  People from the crowd, including Quatre, were applauding Adam when he finished and the song was than turned back over to the other instruments as well as Lynn.

"Tatoe ashita nakushite mo

Anata wo ushinatte mo

Dekiru kagiri no egao de kagayakitai

Namida de ima yobikakeru

Yakusoku nado iranai

Kimi ga kureta taisetsu na tsuyosa dakara.

Hitomi de ima yobikakeru

Yakusoku nado iranai

Hitomi de ima te wo nobasu

Samui yoru mo," Lynn did as a solo except for the last line, that was sung as a cord between all three girls.  The ending of the song consisted of the bell chimes from the keyboard and cymbals decrescendo, than there was the finale with Salimar running her fingers across the entire keyboard making a wind chime sound.

There were now wolf calls, whistling, stomping, and whooping as half the bar stood up and applauded the band for their last song, Quatre and Trowa were among those standing people.  "Does this always happen?" growled Heero to Sylvia after having just been bumped into by a drunken old man.

"Only when they play, though I must admit, I have never heard so many of their music sung in Japanese.  In fact, I didn't even know that Sage knew Japanese until tonight," noted Sylvia to Heero.  "Wonder when or where he learned, including his brother, Adam.  Neither knew Japanese, that I know of.  Plus, I'm wondering when Adam learned how to play the bagpipes."

"Oh…look at all those pretty girls in the crowd boys!  Wow, I think they want to hear you two sing a solo," suggested Salimar into her microphone.  "What do you two say?"  The question had been asked towards Lynn and Draca.

"I agree," stated Lynn in agreement while Draca just nodded really slowly with an evil smirk on her lips.  Both males cringed in fear and Adam shook his head vigorously as he put his bass guitar back on, all the while Sage held up a silver crucifix.

"The power of God compels thee!" yelled Sage so that everyone could hear him.  Most of the girls in the bar stood up and yelled for the boys to do a song, including the gundam boys' girls and Sylvia.

"I do believe they think otherwise guys," teased Lynn.

"Come on, don't be shy," chided Draca.

"Fine," agreed Adam giving Salimar a playful glare than turned to Lynn and gave her a nod, she started up on the electric guitar, after retuning it.  Following her was the bass and drums, softly they played but than crescendo to forte.

"FLASH BACK!  Kagayaku kaze

FLASH BACK!  Sekai wo kakenukeru

DON'T STOP!  Furimukanai

DON'T STOP!  Dare mo tomerarenai."  Whole band did a "call and response" format for the opening; everyone against Adam, who than took over from there solo.

"Jibun dake ni wakaru puraido kakete

Inochi made moteasonde ikite iru

Me no mae no yume yori

Kiwadoi geemu wo motome

Ore-tachi ha haruka na asu he no

Doa wo tataite 'ru"

"FLASH BACK!  Dare no tame ni

FLASH BACK!  Sekai ha mawaru no ka

DON'T STOP!  Kotae ha nai

DON'T STOP!  Da kara sagashi ni yuku."  From there the solo act switched over to Sage who had a microphone hanging between a pair of cymbals.

"Kodoku dake ga ore wo tsutsumu yoru ni wa

Yoake made hoshi wo kazoete sugosou

Moeagaru honoo ga

Hitomi wo akaku someru

Gin'iro no tsubasa de kirameku

Yume wo oikakeru."  Electric solo stepped in with the faint sound of the drums in the background.  Skillfully Lynn played high cords on the guitar with speed and grace as she had walked up in front of everyone to show off her skills.  Than near the end of her solo she backed off again and let both of the boys take the final verse together.

"Jiyuu to iu kaze ni kokoro sarashite

Hikari yori hayaku

Sora he maiagare oh yeah!

Me no mae no yume yori

Kiwadoi geemu wo motome

Ore-tachi ha haruka na asu he no

Doa wo tataite 'ru!"  Drums pounded heavily while the electric and keyboard followed closely behind, all of it ending with a bang!

"Beautifully done guys!" commented Draca having been grabbing unsuspecting people in the bar and get them to start dancing with her, than switch partners.  "I think you two brought a tear to my eye!"

"Our mission in life, eh Sage?!" Adam replied.

"All right people, we're going to take a break than it's the finale!" announced Draca.  There were groans from the crowd as they applauded for more music.  "Demanding crowd, we'll be back in five, FIVE, minutes!  While all of you are waiting buy a drink or two from that handsome signore there.  Wave Giorgio!"  The bartender numbly waved than went back to placing drinks on the counter.

"I'm going to go say hi to them, anyone want an autograph or two?" inquired Sylvia as she stood up.

"Yeah, I do!  I do!" cheered Duo as he jumped out of his chair and began to push Sylvia towards the stage.  "Come on, come on, we've only got five minutes!" 

GAH!  I wanted to finish this bar part off this chapter but I can't!  Okay, promise to finish off the torturous lyrics and bar scene next chapter.  If I don't than you have my permission to threaten me.  Trust me, I usually beg for threats to stop but this time I give permission for them.

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  3

Salimar:  1

Lynn:  1

Too bad none of you will know until Heero knows n_n  So fun to taunt you all.


	5. Interesting

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters, and I don't own any of the songs in here.  They all go to their own respectable anime.  In short, there are not just Gundam Wing songs.  I just own Adam and any other different characters.

Wow, I confused Animechick2487?  One mission completed.  Mission Two:  Complete chapter.  Mission Three:  Kill my computer!

As the band was putting their instruments away, setting the guitars on their stands, turning off the microphones and amps all the while Salimar just turned her keyboard down to a minimum as she adjusted it for the next songs.  Draca was chatting quietly with the boys causing them to lift their heads in the general direction of the table where the gundam pilots and girls were sitting, idly speaking with each other.  On the other hand, Lynn grabbed one of the cups of warm water and stirred in a spoonful of honey into it while she gossiped with Salimar.

"Nah-uh!  You did NOT say that, did you?!" Lynn exclaimed trying her hardest not to have her honey water spraying out of her nose as she laughed.

"How much you want to bet on that?" challenged Salimar turning around to Lynn with an over-confident smirk on her face.

"Oh Draca, our little baby Salimar has grown to be such a fantastic heartbreaker!  She turned down going out with one of the more popular freshmen from campus, believe it or not.  Her response was, "How much are you willing to pay me?"  No more teaching her how to turn guys down," Lynn told Draca as she chuckled at the thought.

"Go Salimar, ow-ow-ow!  Than again, you did have the best teacher in the world of rejecting the male species, me," stated Draca with false self pride.  "How I have taught you well!"

"Yeah Draca, you're just the queen of rejecting guys, that maybe why you never had a boyfriend," commented Sage getting an elbow strike into the abdomen by Draca's evil elbow.  "Down pussy cat."  At that, Draca began to crack her knuckles in warning.

"Just think, that's coming from a guy who thinks he's so smooth," Adam remarked to Lynn and Salimar while Draca began chasing Sage around the platform, shouting threats in Italian and Japanese.  "Told you they couldn't get along for more than two or three minutes, Lynn.  Your best bet is to give up on trying to get them to actually be civil with each other."

"Never!  It'll just take some time is all.  Time and a lot of work," reassured Lynn waving off Adam's advise.

"Ahem!  Excuse me, may I have a word with Sage Cole?" asked an aoristically voice from off the platform and to the side of the three.  Turning they saw the braided boy from earlier with a sandy-blond girl, who looked very prim in her ironed blouse and skirt, and with her hair pulled back into a bun. 

"Sure thing," agreed Salimar.  "Hey Adam, get your cute self over here, pronto!  Someone's here to have a word or two with you, for whatever reason!"  Faster than lighting, if possible, Sage with among the small group with a fuming Draca following behind him muttering something about stupid drummer boys and shoving a drumstick up his behind before the night was through.

"A fan?!  For me?!  Oh!  Oh!  Where?! Who?!"  babbled Sage jumping up and down like a little child.  When he saw the blond though, than he stopped his jumping and immediately broke out into a full blown grin.  "Sylvia!  Amica, how are you?!  WHERE have you been?!  How long has it been?!"  Jumping off the platform Sage pulled Sylvia into a giant bear hug and than began to swing her around for a while.

"Amica?" Draca muttered looking towards Lynn and Salimar like they would know anything about Sylvia.  Both girls just shrugged and gave a perplexed look to tell Draca that they knew no more than she did.

"One question at a time, Sage," giggled Sylvia when Sage finally set her down on the edge of the platform in a sitting position.  "I've been quite well, thank you.  Traveling from colony to colony and all over Asia is where I have been, and it has been three years since we last saw each other."

"Wow, three years huh?  Really, that long?  Uh…it felt longer," remarked Sage deciding to sit beside Sylvia.  "Why are you traveling so much?"

"Maintaining the peace, since Vice Foreign Minister Darlian had ran away someone had to do something, so I volunteered to do so," explained Sylvia with much boastfulness in her tone.  After that was spoken, Draca rolled her eyes, Salimar just shook her head ruefully, and Lynn let out an exhausted sigh.

"Are you going to be introducing us to your friend, Sage?  Or are we just supposed to be left in the dark on who she is and who he is?" inquired Salimar gesturing to Duo, who waved a bit at the group.

"Course, Adam you tell them," Sage suggested.

"Right bro," sighed Adam rather annoyed that his brother wasn't going to introduce their friends to his friend.  "Girls, that there is Sylvia Noventa, the grand-daughter of the former Grand Marshal Noventa of the Alliance.  That dude there is…I don't know.  Some dude with a long braid, a goofy smile, and really scaring me."

"The name's Duo, Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide, but I'll never tell a lie.  That's me in a nutshell basically ladies," corrected Duo, stepping onto the platform grinning his winning grin.  "I'm technically with Sylvia, but I just really wanted all your autographs."  Unreadable glances were exchanged throughout the group, excluding Sage, before Draca broke out into a devious smile.

"That all, because we don't have any pens on us, and it doesn't look like you have a pad of paper for us to sign," Draca pointed out.

"Easy," claimed Duo unclipping his white priest collar and pulling it off.  "All of you can sign on this and I'm certain someone here will have a permanent marker somewhere."  Again, there was an exchange of looks before the group shrugged.

"You got it, go find that marker while we perform," winked Salimar nodding her head to the side as a gesture that Duo had better get going.  "We'll see you after our finale."

Duo's whole face lit up, literally, as he smiled like a little child.  "Really?!  Awesome!" he cheered leaping off the platform and doing a mixture of walking and dancing back to his table with a large smile on his features.

"Sage, time's up," Draca notified the last band member.

"Got it," nodded Sage getting up.  "We'll continue this discussion after we're done.  Now, you get back to that handsome boyfriend of yours, what's his name?"

"Heero Yuy, you big dummy," answered Sylvia as she stood up and began making her way back to the group.

Meanwhile, Lynn turned on the amps and set them at the correct volume when Sage came up to her than began to whisper something in her ear.  In reaction all she did was nod solemnly and had a grim expression that quickly vanished when Salimar brought her back down to reality.

"We're back signoras and signores, now it's our final two songs.  Before we begin, we would like to thank Giorgio for allowing us to play here for your entertainment.  Thank you Giorgio, you handsome fellow you!  Now, on with the music!"  proclaimed Draca after turning on her microphone.  Keyboards started up with a crescendo only to be joined by Lynn and Salimar's voices.

"I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Kaze wo kakenukete

Nanimo osorezu ni ima yuuki to egao no kakera daite

CHANGE MY MIND

Jounetsu tayasazu ni

Takanaru mirai e te wo nobaseba

Kagayakeru hazu sa IT'S WONDERLAND!"  Vocals switched over to Draca after a mere instrumental part, since all the instruments had joined in during the chorus.

"Haiiro no sora no kanata nanika oitekita

Kimi wa mayoinagara sagashitsuzukeru

Kimi no kokoro furueteta asu no mienai yo

Nanimo shinjirarezu mimi wo fusagu

Kimi ni deaeta toki hontou no ibasho mitsuketa

Nanigenai yasashisa ga koko ni ate

Bokura mezameru."

"I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Nido to mayowanai

Kimi to iru mirai katachi doreba dokomademo toberu sa

CHANGE MY MIND

Jounetsu tayasazu ni

Shiranai ashita e tsubasa hiroge habatakeru hazu sa

IT'S WONDERLAND."

"Bokura wa onaji sekai wo oyogitsuzuketeru

Tagai no negai e todoku hi made

Minna onaji fuan kakaete sasaeaeru yo

Tachidomaru shunkan ni mitsumeteru kono basho ni iru

I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Kono te hanasazu ni

Mimamoru hitomi wo uketometara nandatte dekiru hazu

CHANGE MY MIND

Hitori ni sasenai

Minna koko ni iru donna koto mo tsukinuketeikou

IT'S WONDERLAND

I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Kaze wo kakenukete

Nanimo osorezu ni ima yuuki to egao no kakera daite

CHANGE MY MIND

Jounetsu tayasazu ni

Takanaru mirai e te wo nobaseba

Kagayakeru hazu sa IT'S WONDERLAND!"  The music faded away and the crowd erupted with applause while Duo could be seen weaving in and out of the crowd asking for a sharpie.

"Last song people, than it's closing time.  Sorry, rules are rules, we can't do anything about them and neither can you, so please just bare with us," pleaded Draca.  "Our last song, amazingly enough, is song in English by our keyboardist, Salimar Reigns!  Give her a hand people, for she rarely ever sings!"

"Take it away girlfriend," urged Adam giving Salimar a thumbs up.  All the instruments began all at once only to be united with the vocals of every member of the group except for Salimar.

"Ah…Ah…AH!

Ah…Ah…AH!

It's your life!"

"I kept racing down the stormy highway, 

(It's your dream)

Searching for the whereabouts of my interrupted dream

(It's your life)

Letting all my lied and bitter illusions

Blow my back, with the wind

We're all just lonely hearts in the (big city).

Everyone a child lost in love.

(Day by day) in the (big city),

Tears only aggravate thoughts that won't rest.

"Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to tell you I love you.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…touch me…(Hurricane)

…like you mean it.

Touch!  (Give me touch!)"

"Ah…Ah…AH!

Ah…Ah…AH!

It's your life!"

"I cannot share the pain in your heart

(It's your dream)

With darting words that merely placate.

(It's your life)

I want you to tell me what it is

That makes your eyes cloud over

(It's you life)

In the (big city), our hearts are all torn and tattered,

And we're tired of dancing around each other at night,

So in the (big city's) empty days,

We waited anxiously for a little warmth.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to tell you I love you.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to hold you once more.

Touch!  (Burning touch!)."  For six seconds there was an electric guitar solo with the drums as background to keep the pulse.

"We're all just lonely hearts in the (big city)

Everyone a child lost in love.

(Day by day) in the (big city)

tears only aggravate thoughts that won't rest.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to tell you I love you.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…touch me…(Hurricane)

…like you mean it.

Touch!  (Give me touch!)

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to tell you I love you.

Tonight…(Hurricane)

…I want…(Hurricane)

…to hold you once more.

Touch!  (Burning touch!)

Give me touch!

Burning touch!"  Everyone, literally everyone, stood up and roared in clapping the band, even Heero gave out a bit of a golfer's clap and Wufei just did a respectful clap.

"Thank you all!  We're glad we could entertain you tonight, and perhaps made your evening a bit better," Draca told the crowd.  "As all good things have to come to an end, so do us.  Good night folks, hope to see you all some other time."  Slowly the crowd began moving towards the doors, for it was closing time and going on to one in the morning hours.  On the platform the group began packing up their instruments, Draca helping Sage with the drum set since he had the most to take a part.

"That was overwhelming," spoke up Lynn as she disconnected her guitar to the amp than pulled out her guitar case from behind the drum set.  

"Better than making speeches to a bunch of old men," added Adam teasingly.  "How about you Draca?  How are you doing?"

"Very good, that was exhilarating!  Unbelievable, it's so pressuring to do that for such a large crowd," she answered glancing towards Sage who was placing the bass drum and cymbals on a rolling cart that was off in the back of the bar.  "What about you Sage?  Express how you feel after playing in front of such a large crowd."

"Relieved that I don't have to see anyone of them  since I sit down the entire time, and just play the drums with my eyes closed," he replied taking the snare drum from Draca.  "Your turn Salimar."

"Personally, I'm still flustered.  God, I must still be blushing like mad!" she beamed feeling all the heat in her cheeks still there from singing.  She had put the keyboard into its case and folded up the stand, placing both items off to the side where she could keep an eye on them while she rolled up the cord for the speakers.

"Nah, you're not blushing that badly," reassured a gentle, proper voice off to the side.  Entire band turned to find not just Duo and Sylvia standing there but seven other people, and it seemed that it was the light blond male who had reassured Salimar, for he just had that gentle aura about him and a friendly smile on his features.

"Good sir, I thank thee," Salimar nodded in gratitude.  "What, pray tell, is thy name?"

"Quatre Rabera Winner."

"Big guy eh?  Wow, a rich colonist has come to…" started Lynn sounding a bit impressed as she motioned with her hands for Quatre or someone to go on.

"He's here for my birthday, and these other people are friends.  Sally Po, Trowa Barton, his sister Catherine Bloom, Wufei Chang, and…" listed Sylvia, making some kind of gesture to each person when she mentioned his or her name.

"Hilde Schibecker, I'm Duo's girlfriend," a blue haired girl with rich royal blue eyes simple stated, though there was an underlining tone of warning.

At that Salimar had just broken out into a little giggle before saying, "Of course you are, that would make perfect sense why you were jealous earlier when he was trying to flirt with us.  Plus, none of us are really interested in having a boyfriend, so have no fear your man is safe from us."

"Yeah, yeah!  Speaking of me, I got a marker so can you five sign my collar?" Duo butted in holding out a black sharpie and his collar.

"Sure thing, but who's that guy?!" inquired Lynn pointing a thumb at the isolated guy who had his arm linked with Sylvia's.  Taking the marker and collar, Lynn began to sign in her name on it while she waited for someone to answer her question.  "Come on, it's not that difficult of a question is it?"

"This is Heero Yuy, my boyfriend," introduced Sylvia with a challenging glare.

"Wipe that glare from your eyes please girly, I have no intention whatsoever of attempting to steal your man," warned Lynn handing Draca the collar and marker.

"Don't you mess with my man," Draca began singing only to be hit on the head by Salimar, of all people.

"Quiet you, you've had all the evening to sing, take a break.  Also, hurry up, we got class tomorrow," reminded Salimar.  "Do all of you want autographs or is there something else we can do for you all?"

"Could answer a few questions of ours," responded Sally getting up on the platform and began helping Salimar put the amps on the floor.

"Not now, we have to hurry up and get everything loaded into our vans.  Though we could most likely meet somewhere and answer your questions, that is if you're staying in Verona," Adam elucidated as he began pushing the cart with most of the drum set on it out the back door.

"Heero is staying, so is Hilde and Duo I think," Sylvia countered. 

"Good luck trying to find us, unless you have a place set where you want to meet already," Draca snorted sounding a bit bitter.

"How about we meet at La Volta Celeste tomorrow for lunch?" suggested Sylvia.  Slowly, very slowly, the band turned to Sylvia with wide eyes on all their faces.  "What?"

"Do you realize how expensive that place is?" asked Draca, shocked that the place was even suggested.  "How about La Terra, a place we can afford to have lunch at?!"

"That's fine," Heero piped up finally.  He was getting tired of Sylvia keeping this discussion going when all he wanted to do was to go back to the hotel and sleep.

"Great!  Here's your collar, Duo," Salimar cheered handing Duo his collar with all the names of the band and the marker.  "It was great meeting you all, hopefully the rest of you will decide to stick around a little bit and we'll all meet up again."  Most of the group nodded in agreement as they all shook hands for their goodbye, before the gundam group left the bar, leaving it very deserted.

"That was interesting," noted Sage.

"Interesting or "interesting"?" questioned Lynn adding in quotations around the second interesting.

"The latter.  Well, we better get going, no?" sighed Sage putting a hand to his pounding head.

"Agreed," approved the group.

Yay!  Done with the bar, now I can go on without those lyrics!  Oh happy day!

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  1

Lynn:  2

Too bad none of you will know until Heero knows n_n  So fun to taunt you all.


	6. Search Ending

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.  It's a bit short since I'm busy trying to figure out how I really want to do this story, and I'm sorry.  Also, I apologize for taking longer than I normally do, and as a warning, next weekend don't expect any updates, I won't be home doing any updating. 

Staring up at the ceiling while having a, more or less, one-sided conversation with his superior over the phone in the hotel room that he and Sylvia were sharing for the night, Heero just sat listening to his new orders.  "What?!" he growled as he sprang out of the chair he had been occupying.  "Drop the search for Relena?!  Why?!"  There had to be a mistake, but Heero didn't reveal his doubts to this choose to his boss.  No, he kept his expression blank and voice leveled, but his eyes were betraying his suppressed, burning rage.

"Yes, I'm well aware it has been five months but that doesn't mean that we should stop the search when we're close!" Heero continued to protest.  "Nothing at the moment, however, I'm convinced it has something to do with the phone.  I had all those phones in the house tapped, and she knew it.  Yet, there are no recorded messages between the hours of eight o'clock and two o'clock, Une."

Out of frustration, and without having his laptop set up anywhere, Heero began to pace back and forth in the room, well aware that Sylvia was in the shower.  "We had checked that all out, the certificates were copies from real people and the signatures forged.  It wasn't some amateur that helped her," Heero told his boss attempting to maintain his calm, self-controlled self even though it was becoming quite difficult while his boss was breathing down his neck.  "Understood, I shall be there tomorrow at 1400, with any evidence that we may have at all."  Defeat was evident in Heero's eyes, but not in his manner or tone as he halted in his pacing when he placed the phone on the receiver. 

_It's all gone, our only chance to find Relena, and my last chance to actually protect her from those who want to harm her,_ thought Heero as he picked up the phone and dialed another room number.  "Hilde, is Duo there?  …Sleeping in the hallway?!  Why?  …I see, well that's what he gets for flirting with a trio of girls in front of you and than having the nerve to stare at another woman's chest in your presence.  …Actually, I am calling to tell you that Une says that this case is closed tomorrow, unless we have evidence to point us in some direction of where Relena might be.  …I tried and failed.  …Hn, I'm meeting with her tomorrow, but that's what I wanted to talk with you about.  Me and Sylvia were supposed to have lunch with the group tomorrow, but since I won't be there to interrogate them, I want you to check out the campus and get as much information on those girls as you can get," explained Heero hearing the shower water being turned off.

"Duo?!  I want him to return to England and check out that house the phone company says she had called.  …There must be a clue somewhere there.  …My thoughts exactly, this whole thing was planned somehow and Relena somehow outsmarted us.  …What do you mean me?!  How did she outsmart me?!  …That maybe, but she never mentioned anything to you or Duo, nor did she show any signs of wanting to escape.  …I'll let you go than…Night," Heero finished the conversation and than hung up the phone just as Sylvia got out of the bathroom in only a red robe.

"Who were you talking with?" she asked innocently as she made her way over to the bed and laid down beside Heero.

"Hilde, to tell her that the search will be sealed as of tomorrow, unless by some miracle that we get some hard evidence," answered Heero just keeping his attention on the bumpy pattern on the ceiling.

"This search for the Vice Foreign Minister is really important to you," noted Sylvia.

"Hn, we just need her…"

"To maintain the peace," Sylvia ended the sentence, having heard it as Heero's excuse thousands of times before.  She sat up and sat on her balls of her feet, eyeing Heero.  "You don't seem to get Heero, peace has been maintained without Relena!  Everyone else has moved on with that knowledge, you seem to be the only one stuck in the past, refusing to believe such!  There's no way you can go on thinking like that, you've got to move on with your life and get past all that."  At this Heero just snorted and turned his head towards the window.  "Listen to me Heero.  I'm not stupid, I know that you have deep feelings for Relena.  Whether they be emotions of brotherly-love, friendship-love, or just the simple bond by vows love I don't know, but what I do know is that you care about her a lot more than you're willing to admit."

As he usually did when his girlfriend had him backed into a corner, Heero just directed his eyes to anywhere but on her.  "See, you don't deny it for once.  Bravo, but now you need to learn to let her go, Heero, for you can't live your life in the past; you've got to move on," Sylvia berated Heero.  Still, he didn't reply or make any eye contact with her at all, causing her to get slightly angered by his actions.  "Alright, that's it!  Sleep in the hallway!"

Now, Heero looked at her, not with surprise or anything but just looked at her to see how serious she was.  To his disadvantage, she was dead serious and pointing a finger to the evil hallway where, Heero presumed, he was to be sleeping that evening.  "Sylvia…" he began to argue.

"No Heero, I'm being direct, you are sleeping in the hallway until you can openly admit that the others and I are right, and that you need to move on," scolded Sylvia getting off the bed and tossing Heero his denim jacket, than opened the door and pointed out into the hallway.

With an exasperated sigh, Heero put on his jacket and than made his way out into the hallway and stood outside the doorway as Sylvia closed it behind him.  _Now this just great, I've even got Sylvia on my case now.  What could possibly be worse?!_  Heero wondered as he sat down against the hallway walls.

"Hey buddy, she kicked you out too?" came the oh so familiar voice of Duo from Heero's left.

Throwing Duo a 'Heero Yuy death glare' only to realize that Duo wasn't even looking at him, but at the door to his and Hilde's hotel room longingly.  "Maxwell, you should talk, you were peeking down the life guard's bikini," Heero pointed out.

"What it was all just THERE!" argued Duo now turning to Heero with a look of innocents.

"Sure thing Duo, sure thing," agreed Heero in a disbelieving tone as he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.  This was Duo's cue to shut up so that Heero could sleep, apparently he hadn't gotten the memo about it yet, or ever.  For throughout the night, Duo kept rambling on and on.

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  2

Lynn:  1


	7. Hint

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.  I'm back from New Orleans, so on with the story!

It had been about nine o'clock in the morning when Sylvia awoke to let Heero back into the room did she notice that all his bags were gone.  None of his personal items, clothes, or laptop remained in the room.  "Should've known he would find a way inside the room without the key…" muttered Sylvia darkly until she noticed that she had only one of the key sets.  "He had the other key!"

Taking a deep breath she got out of bed and went towards the shower to freshen up for her big day.  Glancing at the phone she remembered that she was supposed to be meeting with her long time friend, Sage Cole, and his band, 'For Rel', for lunch that day.  In her mind she was really regretting the fact that she was going have to cancel it, or at the very least tell Sage to come alone, she really just wanted to talk with him more than anything.  Not to mention the fact she want to pump him for some information on those girls in his band, they seemed a bit out of place to her.  Like they didn't belong in Italy or, at the very least, not in that bar.

_I'm starting to think too much like Heero, suspecting every female that I see!  Guess we need this little disconnection for a while, but I still hope that he'll give up that fantasy of his soon so that we can have a shot at a true relationship,_ thought Sylvia as she shook her head.  "Call Sage later," she promised to herself.

Removing her night gown Sylvia began to run some warm water for her shower, to wake her up.  Grabbing a towel she took a quick look at herself in the mirror.  Her reflection showed a woman that was had the beginnings of wrinkles around her eyes and forehead, along with some fairly large bags under her eyes from the recent lack of sleep, and pale complexion from not having a chance to go outside and bask in the sunlight.  She was beginning to look like a woman in her early thirties or late twenties when she was only 19 years old.

_Now, I understand why Relena may have wanted to get away.  Dealing with all those politics causes a  young girl to look older rather than like her youthful self,_ noted Sylvia before getting in the tub and closing the curtain closed.  _A girl with everything going for her, on top of the world and the colonies, having brought a portion of this peace to everyone, and maintaining peace in the political arena.  Why would she want to runaway from all of that?  How come I'm wondering all of this?!  These are things that the Preventers are supposed to be figuring out instead of just looking for a needle in a haystack._

There had been a few times during the last five months that Sylvia had taken Relena's position, temporarily, when she had thoughts of escaping.  Whenever she finished such a thought she would always scold herself for thinking so selfishly and not of the people of the Earth and colonies.  They needed her more than she needed a life, right?  That was how things were supposed to work out in this world after all.  Only problem was, she wanted to have her own life back someday, soon.

Having been through what could possibly called Hell, Duo found himself in England again, at the owner of the duplex that Relena had last called, again.  Even after so many scandals from former famous people, the phone company just could never develop the concept of recording conversations.  Than again, he always had to remind himself that he should never have taught Relena how to remove the bugs from the phones, but how was he supposed to know in the first place that she had removed the bug in her bedroom phone?!  Anything associated with checking her bedroom was usually Heero's chore, yet it wasn't until about a week or two before Relena left, did Duo actually start doing the checking.  Yet he never bothered with the phone, he thought she never used it.

He knocked on the door and waited patiently for the door to open.  There was no movement inside the house at all, so Duo tried it again.  Same response, silence.  "What the hell…?" wondered Duo as he began to bang on the door.

"Pardon sir, but are you looking for the Petersons'?" came a questioning voice from behind Duo.  

Turning around, Duo saw a male, about his age, on a tan mountain bike.  The man had sandy blond hair, a face that was almost completely covered with freckles, and a wide grin.  "You looking for the Petersons' there?" he repeated this time louder.

"Yes, do you know where they are?" nodded Duo stepping down from the porch and approaching the fellow.

"I should, they are my landlord and lady," the guy replied.  "They went to Switzerland for their anniversary.  Sorry, they left just a few days ago and won't be back until next week sometime."

"Damn it all to hell, I'm too late," scowled Duo as he began to ponder a bit.  "Where do you live?"

"Me?  I live up the block a few ways, that lovely sky blue duplex there," responded the man.

_The same duplex that Relena had made her last call to_, realized Duo as he glanced down the block at the duplex.  "What's your name kid?"

"Jackson Lampe, but call me Jack, Mr.…?" supplied Jack raising an eyebrow at Duo.

"Maxwell, Duo Maxwell.  I'm asking you these questions because I'm a preventer"-Duo flipped out his preventer badge-"I'm trying to locate Ms. Relena Peacecraft," explained the former gundam pilot.  "Do you remember the name of the person living above you?"

"Oh yeah, Adem Witt and his brother Seige, yeah I remember them.  Friendly guys, but a bit on the weird, hyper side at times," mentioned Jack to Duo.

"Adem Witt, you say?  Are you certain that it wasn't Taye Chap?" inquired Duo remembering that the landlord had told him that the person renting the upper part of the duplex was a fellow named Taye Chap.

"Taye Chap?  Never heard of him, I only knew of Adem and Seige Witt," shrugged Jack.  "Plus, I don't even think that was their actual names because no one ever called them by those names.  Of course I could be wrong."

"What did other people call them?" questioned Duo quite interested in what Jack had to say about these brothers that Relena obliviously knew.

"Don't know, I never heard it, but I know for a fact that it wasn't Adem or Seige," replied Jack getting ready to pedal off.  "Hey…um…dude, I got to get going or my partner will kill me for being late.  Catch you around sometime."  With that said Jack left on his bike and began pedaling down the street than turned the corner.

_Finally, a lead of some sort!  Two brothers, and now I know that there was never a person living there named Taye Chap, or at least that wasn't his true name.  Now, who could these Witt brothers be, and where?_ wondered Duo as he got out his cell phone and dialed a long distance number.  "Hey babe, I got us some scratch.  Apparently the guy that rented the upper half of the duplex had an alias, Adem Witt, and a brother, Seige Witt.  …Could you please check them out for me?  …What?!  Why do you have to do the digging up on those 'For Rel' girls?!  …I do not flirt with every cute girl I see!  …Yeah, I'm going to be calling him next.  …Love you too, babe."

Hanging up the cell phone Duo began to dial another long distance number but only got a busy signal from the other end.  _Doesn't he ever get off that damned laptop?!  For God's sakes the man acts like he would die without being connected with the internet at all times!_ thought Duo heading to the rented car across the street.

It was too bad that Duo was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't bother to take notice of the ever watchful emerald green eyes that were observing his every move from around the corner.  The figure pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number, whoever was on the other end picked up.  "What?" came a voice.

"Gave him the information, Lena, now what?" asked the figure.

"Nothing but lay low for a while, okay?" the Vice Foreign Minister told the other person, sounding rather pleased and a bit giddy.  "Thank you so much Jack, I owe you big time for this!"

"Hey, it's your game, I'm just providing some of the clues," smiled Jack.  "Take care, you hear, Lena?!"

"Aye-ai, captain!" mocked Relena before hanging up. 

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  2

Lynn:  1


	8. Investigating

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

Hilde had thought that the college campus would be more or less like a high school campus, but she was wrong.  It crowded, more than any high school would be, the students were dressed less than professionally, unlike her previous thoughts, and there really weren't any definite cliques, that she could make out at least.  Keeping a low profile, or at least she had tried, by dressing in her formal Preventers clothes.  All it did was make her stand out like a sore thumb, making her wish that she was wearing her black jeans, white shirt, and her rugged Preventer jacket instead of the black skirt, green blouse, and a Preventer blazer.

_I feel so out of place here,_ she thought as she made her way down to the office.  _Good place as any to start digging up information._

Entering the office, Hilde stood at the counter waiting patiently for some assistance of some sort to just fall onto her lap instead of her having to ask.  Finally, someone took notice of her standing there.  "May I help you?" asked a woman with ear-length ebony hair and reading glasses hanging around her neck.

"I hope so, do you have access to student files at all?" questioned Hilde ready to pull out her badge if needed to.

"I would certainly hope so for I am the director of this college," smiled the woman turning to the office in the back of the main office.  "Come inside."  Not taking any chances on missing something important, Hilde followed her into the office and remained standing before a mahogany desk.  Closing the door behind them the director ushered for Hilde to take a seat while she stood behind her desk facing Hilde.  "Is there a reason why I should be allowing you to see any of the files of my students?" asked the director with suspicion in her eyes.

"Yes there is, for you shall be charged with withholding information for the Preventers," answered Hilde pulling out her badge and handing it over to the director.  She took a glance down at it than nodded before handing it back to Hilde and going over to her filing cabinets, unlocking them with a key hidden in the inside lining of her blazer.

"What students do you need information on?" asked the director.

"Three of them; Draca Ison, Salimar Reigns, and Lynn Voc, Ma'am," listed Hilde watching as the woman began to flip through the files for the names.

"Call me Jo-jo, Miss."

"Schibecker, Hilde is fine though," supplied Hilde seeing a file being pulled out from the cabinet, most likely Draca's since her last name came first in the alphabet.  "So, Jo-jo, got a child?"

"Three of them actually; Kaitlyn, Salem, and Joey," answered Jo-jo pulling out another file and stacking it on top of the first one.

"Do they attend here as well?" Hilde asked.

"No, they all live in America with my husband," answered Jo-jo retrieving the last file than gathering all three of them up and handing them to Hilde.  "There you are Hilde, I shall need them back by the end of the week or sooner if possible."

Taking the files Hilde nodded in understanding and assured, "You shall have them back first thing tomorrow morning, Jo-jo."  Getting up, Hilde took her leave from the office and made her way to her jeep so she could return to the hotel room and begin doing more research, this time on Adem and Seige Witt.

Reaching for the door outside, Hilde didn't notice that it was already opening and swing towards her until she felt her forehead hit the door and the files slip from her hands.  Putting a hand to her forehead she could hear people apologizing, someone picking up the files for her, another one shooing away all the gawking bystanders, and the last one trying to coax her into removing her hand so that he or she may have a look at the wound, if there was one.  Not being one to be stubborn when others were offering help, Hilde removed her hand and opened her eyes to see that it was Draca standing before her observing her head.  Lynn was behind her, holding onto the files for Hilde and than Salimar was the one yelling for others to get on with their college lives.

_Just my luck,_ Hilde thought bitterly as she felt Draca gently poking a finger at the forehead and making comments about there being a bruise and that there was a small "dent" in her forehead.  _Not my day, is it?  Ow!  That hurts!_

"Oh hey, you're one of the girls we met last night at the bar!" pointed out Lynn after Draca was done poking at Hilde's head.

_Observant, aren't they?!_ Hilde remarked sarcastically.  "Yes I am."

"Was your name like Hildra or Hildre?" asked Salimar.

_Way off there sister!_ retorted Hilde mentally.  "Hilde actually," she corrected.

"Sorry, it's just we met so many people last night that we just can't keep the names straight except for Quatre Winner and Duo Maxwell, your boyfriend right?" explained Salimar blushing at her embarrassing attempts at Hilde's name.

"I guess I can buy that," smiled Hilde sympathizing with the girls, after all they did meet nine people out of nowhere the other night.

"Way to go Salimar, just go and get her name all messed up!" commented Draca.

"Oh, and you would have gotten her name correct?!  Hn, I think you would have probably guessed something more along the lines of Sally or something," retorted Salimar.

"Actually…yeah I would've, but you saved me the trouble," grinned Draca.  At that moment Lynn stepped forward and handed Hilde the files, which she took back but not without some resistance from Lynn's grasp.

"Thank you Lynn."

"What are you doing looking up information on us when all you have to do is ask us?" questioned Lynn.

_Prefect, she read the names on the files!  Now what am I going to tell them?!_ sighed Hilde.  "This is for official business dealing with a missing person that, the agency I work for, is trying to find," claimed Hilde noticing how Salimar's eyes narrowed, Lynn's eyes turned stone cold, and Draca's were the only ones relaxed.

"Quite fascinating really, eh girls?" teased Draca with a playful smile as she turned to the other two and making both of their gazes soft, drastically.

"Very," nodded Lynn.  "What kind of person?"

"A very special individual that happened to run away about five months back, with the help of someone from the outside," answered Hilde.  This time there was no change in any of their eyes.  _Covering up for their folly I see,_ noted Hilde.

"Special…as in how?  Was he, or she, a Princess or perhaps some billionaire of some sort, like your friend Quatre?  A political person, or even a former terrorist from the war?" interrogated Salimar with a hint of humor in her voice.

"A politician actually, and it was a woman.  She is 18 years old, blond hair that is waist length, blue eyes, and in great shape," described Hilde glancing over at Lynn.  Lynn noticed it too and took a step back than stared wide-eyed at Hilde.

"That description sounds vaguely familiar," muttered Draca.

"It should, that's the description of Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian," proclaimed Hilde getting a unison gasp from all three of the girls.

"NO!" breathed Salimar.

"Why, did any of you know her by any chance?"  There was an exchange of glances from all three girls before turning back to Hilde.

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  2

Lynn:  1


	9. Letter

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

Taking on the painful lectures and statements, Heero remained calm and in control while his commander, Lady Une, explained to him what little information they had on Relena's whereabouts, facts that he was already well aware of.  Than came the major blow to him.  "This case is closed.  No more of this search for Relena.  Understood?" Lady Une questioned looking up from her papers on her desk to Heero.

His face was still expressionless, this he knew, but he also knew that his eyes hid nothing from others, if they cared to look into them without turning away.  In them were emotions of unexplainable rage, primal fear, and even a twinge of sorrow, all of them mixed into one combination inside his persian blue eyes.

"Yes," he nodded, he was never one to question orders.  "May I conduct the search on my own time than?"  That question made Lady Une set her papers down and make eye contact with him for the first time that afternoon.  There was a moment of silence that was killing Heero as she was thinking over how she wanted to answer that question.

"Fine, you may continue the search on your own free time, without the assistance of the other preventers.  I need them to do their jobs rather than searching for the Vice Foreign Minister," agreed Lady Une.  "Dismissed."

With a click of his heels Heero saluted than exited the office only to be greeted by Lady Une's secretary with a file for him, but the file didn't interest him.  It was the note on top of the file that interested him more than anything.  The note was in an indigo colored envelope with the seal of the Peacecrafts stamped over the flap to keep it sealed.  

_Relena?_ was Heero's first real thought as he took the file from the young, out of high school girl.  "Where did this envelope come from, Ms… Shun-Li Wan?"  Heero had to take a quick and unnoticeable glance down at the nametag on the desk  to see the young girl's name.

"It came for you this morning through the mail sir, I figured I would just give it to you along with the files for your next missions," she replied returning to her desk and began clicking away at the computer.

"Thank you," he nodded not pleased with the answer but he could tell that she wasn't lying to him at all.  Taking his leave he began to tear open the letter, carefully, making certain not to damage the seal of it.  Taking out the letter while inside the elevator and going down to the ground floor, Heero began to skim it than read it slower, searching for clues of her whereabouts.

Dear Heero

I suppose that what I pulled that night wasn't the brightest idea of mine but it worked, that's all that matters to me.  May I suggest that you give up in your search for me, for I know that you are most likely exhausted from it and need time to rest.  Besides, it is in your best interest to stop now before you get yourself frustrated and in trouble with Lady Une.  Remember that I'm not the little 15 year old girl that you knew from a few years back, I've grown up a bit.

Wishing you the best

Relena Darlian-Peacecraft

Judging by the letter Heero figured out a few tiny details about Relena.  First, her style was one of business letter; secondly, her skills were ones that often were found by student that have attended business courses that involved computers.  At least it was a start of some kind, and she had no idea that she had given him those clues.

Exiting the elevator Heero than made his way out the circular doors and into the streets of Tokyo towards the airport, he needed to catch a plane and make a few calls to some of the other preventers.  Than he would need to find a place in New York where he could rent a tuxedo for the fundraiser. 

Unbeknownst to Heero was that the ever emerald eyes of Shun-Li were watching him from the 20th floor of the Preventers Headquarters.  Turning from the window she went to her computer and opened up an instant messenger screen that consisted of her talking with a "recalled_to_life".

"I gave him the letter that you sent to him," Shun-Li informed the person knowing full well who the person was and where she was.

"Thank you so much, I promise to repay you somehow," promised Relena in words on the screen.

"No problem, anyways you got me this job with that anonymous phone call," winked Shun-Li.  "Give my regards to Adam, Sage, and the girls."

"I will," assured Relena.

Sitting on a college campus picnic table Hilde read through the files of the three girls that she was investigating.  About all she had found out from the three girls before they had to take off to class was that they did indeed know who Vice Foreign Minister was, more than just a political figure.  Apparently that was all she could get out of them before Draca checked her watch and informed the girls that it was 9:29 am, and that there was only one minute before class started.

Now scanning through the files of the young ladies Hilde was learning that at one time they all had gone to the St. Gabriel Institution before the Eves War broke out, than all three went in separate directions across the globe.  Draca had finished her high schooling in Texas, Salimar in Korea, and Lynn in France.  Each in a public school and being among the top 100 students in their graduated classes.  Are currently living in the Noventa household as apartment residence.

_Noventa?  As in Sylvia Noventa?  They're staying with her mother in Verona?  Wow, I had no idea that Mrs. Noventa rented out rooms of her house,_ thought Hilde as she continued to scan through the files. 

Allergies:  None

Medical Needs: None

Weight:  129, 132, 125

What caught Hilde's eye next was what she read when she was reading what was under family listings.  First was Draca, she was an orphan with her uncle as her legal guardian throughout high school and middle school.  Than Lynn was next, she was being taken cared by a foster family in France, which was the reason why she had to move in the first place.  Last was Salimar, her guardian was her grandfather who lived in Moscow, Russia.  

_Why would have your granddaughter go to a school in Korea instead of having her go to a school in Moscow?_ wondered Hilde.  Flipping through the files again for anything else she could find useful.

Each girl was in a computer class, Lynn was majoring in music and taking a minor in history as well as Spanish, Draca was also majoring in music and than taking up a minor in philosophy also design, and Salimar was taking a major in both English courses and music, than a minor in business.  Each girl was very different but each had one passion, which seemed to be music.  _It at least explains why they all like being in the band.  Wonder if any of them are looking to becoming real artists and be famous,_ Hilde thought to herself as she remembered how great they sang the night before.

"Hey Hilde, here," greeted Draca coming up to Hilde from behind and setting down a cup of coffee in front of the preventer before taking a seat next to her. 

Having jumped at the voice, Hilde regained her senses when she saw that it was only Draca followed by Lynn and Salimar behind, carrying four plates of pizza.  "It's only you three," sighed Hilde holding a hand to her heart.  "You know you really shouldn't sneak up on people!"

"Sorry but it was an open opportunity," apologized Draca with an equally apologetic smile, one that reminded Hilde of the ones that Relena would give her when she would sneak up on her in the dark.  "We brought some lunch and coffee for you since I doubt you've had anything to eat since you woke up."

"Thank you," nodded Hilde taking a plate from Salimar, and than set it down in front of her while Lynn took a seat across from her and Salimar across from Draca.

"Still doing research on us?" noted Salimar nodding towards the files that laid out open.

"Yeah, interesting histories you three and classes.  Want to tell me how you three each knew Relena?" inquired Hilde as she took a bit of her pizza.

Taking a sip of her coke it was Salimar who answered first, "We knew her from the St. Gabriel Institution; all four of us were in the same class.  I guess we were the first to actually see that Relena wasn't exactly dumb to why most of the people at school liked her at all, they knew nothing of the real her."

"Being me, I was the first to approach her during class and introduce myself," interjected Draca swallowing a bit of her pizza.  "She was a bit surprised that I even bothered to ask her for what she thought of our project that we were assigned to do rather than ask Lynn, she sat right in front of me.  It was a bit humorous, that must have been the first time that someone actually included her into a bit of gossip that didn't consist of guys or having someone try to be proper."

"Which was impossible for Draca, she could never be proper much less formal.  Always gave the nuns nicknames and gave Relena the nickname Lena, which was something no one else at school even did.  Than there was the fact that we didn't really give a damn of her money that Relena must've found a bit odd," added Lynn.

"Most definitely, since those other girls were always talking about her, not saying nothing mean or anything, but just talking about her and how lucky she was all the time," agreed Draca.

"In a way, it was Draca who got us all together with becoming Relena's friends.  Than the guys came around after that one horse incident," Salimar stated.

"Guys?" echoed Hilde.

"Adam and Sage," replied Lynn.  "During class one day, I kind of fell off a horse and the boys were the first ones to actually take action by carrying me off to the nurse's office.  When Relena came to visit with these two, they met Adam and Sage there.  That's when we all really began becoming really close to each other."

"Now is it Adam or Adem?" inquired Hilde taking out a notepad to take down some of these notes.

"Adam, with an A," answered Salimar taking a sip of her coke.

"Thank you.  What about your band name, 'For Rel'?  How is that spelt?" continued Hilde.

"Rel," replied Lynn.

"Adam's idea since that was his nickname for Relena.  When we began the band it was around the time that Relena ran off, so when Adam heard about it he wanted to somehow remember Relena somehow.  Thus the title 'For Rel' instead of 'For Real', r-e-a-l," jumped in Draca.  "Him and Relena were very close actually, but than he and Sage had to move to Miami, Florida because of family business."

"Yeah, than it was the domino effect from there," included Salimar turning her eyes downcast.

"Which reminds me Salimar, why did you finish high school in Korea when your grandfather was in Moscow?" questioned Hilde looking up from the notepad to watch the reaction to the question.  The green haired girl was calm and reserved as she met Hilde's gaze, something most people in her situation wouldn't do.

"My grandfather was and still is a busy man, Hilde.  He had no time to spend with me without being on call, so he suggested that I go to Korea to finish my schooling while staying with one of his friends.  All he wanted was me to be able to stay in touch with others my age as well as learn to be the best I could, and boy did I.  Never want to go through that again!  Going to school for 15 hours a day was no camping trip," explained Salimar finishing off her pizza and drowning down her coke.

"That explains quite a bit.  Can you tell me the name of the family you were staying with?"

"I was staying with the Lim family," responded Salimar gathering up the empty plates and getting up to throw them away.

"Your foster family, Lynn?"

"The Vocs actually.  I never held onto my real last name so I took on my foster family's last name instead," Lynn told her.

"Draca?"

"My Uncle is William Ison actually, an oil man in Texas though he's quite a genius," stated Draca as Salimar returned to the table.

"Again, thank you, each of you, for your time and for answering these questions for me," thanked Hilde getting up and gathering up the files before heading to her jeep.

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  2

Lynn:  1


	10. The Wall

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

"My, that was interesting," commented Hilde to herself as she drove in her jeep back to the hotel, unbuttoning the top buttons of her blouse and shrugging off her blazer just when her cell phone rang.  "Not now…!"  Placing the ear piece connecting to the cell phone, Hilde pressed the send button.  "Preventer Hilde speaking."

She would have almost dropped the phone, if she was holding onto it that is.  Instead she began crossing over into the other lane in front of another car, almost causing a collision.  "The case is what?!" she practically screamed over the phone as Heero repeated the information he had just given her.  "Closed case?  Why?"

Listening intently to what Heero told her, Hilde had to agree with the reason for Lady Une closing the case, but now that they had some kind of a lead it was a disappointment to her, and she knew it was going to be for both Duo and Heero when she tells them.  "Guess I'll have to check my e-mail for my next assignment.  Anything else, besides this wind of bad news that I really didn't want to hear?"  Hilde sighed, feeling like she wanted to pound her head into the steering wheel as she listened.

"What?!  A letter?!  From Relena?!  When did you get it?!  Where is she?!  Did she mention me or how she's doing?!"  interrogated Hilde frantically once she returned to her senses.  

On the other line Heero explained to her what the letter consisted of and that there was no return address.  "I see…at least we know that she's still alive and well, eh?  Though I don't understand why you were given the letter today of all days!" Hilde remarked not bothering to ask why he got the letter, for she knew the answer to the question.

"If you're glad that she's still alive than why do you sound like you just found out that she was dead?  …Calm down, it was only a question," sighed Hilde making a turn.  "Yeah I got the 411 on the 'For Rel' girls.  Very interesting and a bit curious.  …Apparently they all went to the St. Gabriel Institute before the Eves War even began, but than one by one each of the girls had to go to a different country for school.  …Of course I know where, come on Heero I'm not that stupid."

There was a bit of silence where the only sound made was Heero's trademark 'hn' that most likely went along with a glare.  "Draca moved to Texas, Lynn to France, and Salimar went to Korea.  …None of the girls have parents, each of them are orphans.  …Thought you didn't believe in coincidences, Heero, but you're right, it is a nice coincidence," snorted Hilde.  "Their guardians?  Well, Draca's was her Uncle…William Ison.  No, I didn't get his address.  …Sorry, it slipped my mind!"

Waiting a bit, Hilde heard Heero snort and was most likely thinking how amateurish she was for not asking about the Uncle's address.  "Are you quite finished yet, Heero?  …Good, now Salimar has a grandfather in Moscow, Russia but she didn't stay with him during her years of high school.  Than Lynn was brought up during her last high school years by a foster family in France."

Sighing as she grasped onto whatever patience she had left in her, Hilde counted to ten mentally.  One would never believe that the perfect soldier could actually start getting on someone's case, the person would only have to listen real closely to his incoherent muttering than they would hear a lot of things people think Heero's incapable of saying in words.

"For a guy who lost Relena you're quit the perfectionist, aren't you?" Hilde countered and completing in silencing Heero's muttering.  "Listen Heero, I made a mistake whoopee-do, so did you, quite a few times I might add, so you have no right to berating me for not thinking of getting names.  Anyways, I can always as them about it later."  There was a bit of protesting on the other side of the phone.

"So what if I'm on a new assignment, I can always look up the girls' guardians, right?" pointed out Hilde pulling up into the parking lot of the driveway.  "That's what I thought!  Thank you for keeping me informed Heero.  …Bye."  Hanging up the phone Hilde took out the cell phone and put it on top of the files as she went up to hotel to check her e-mail.

_Relena, where the hell are you?  What's with the letter?_ wondered Hilde.

In England Duo was having a great time looking over the upper level of the duplex that Taye Chap-or Adem and Siege Witt-stayed at before moving off somewhere else.  They had made a clean sweep of everything in the place before but he felt the need to make one last look over despite his new orders from Lady Une.  "There has to be something here that they had missed the last time a sweep was made," muttered Duo as he examined the living room that was bare of anything but a couch, chair, coffee table, and entertainment set.

Something caught his attention while he was tapping the wall in the living room.  The sound wasn't correct, something was out of place with the sound that was emanating from the wall.  "Hollow?  Why would the wall be hollow?" questioned Duo getting an idea as he pulled out his cell phone.

Dialing a number he only had to wait for one ring before he got an answer.  "Yo, Heero, I have a request before I head out to Spain," Duo informed him as he began to chip away some of the paint on the wall.  "I can't get a request if it has to deal with Relena?  Damn, than do you think the landlords of this place Relena called will be mad if I cause I hole in one of the walls?"

The answer Duo got wasn't the one he was hoping for but it was the answer he was expecting, a 'yeah'.  How natural to get a short, simple answer like that from the perfect soldier.  "Kind of figured that, but than what do you want me to do?" demanded Duo.  "Can't get in contact with the landlords when they're in Switzerland and since you advised me not to tear down the wall, that kind of leaves my options very limited.  Get my drift?"

"Oh, so you're going to be the one to break down the wall huh?  Be my guest man, I have to be on a plane for Spain in an hour," Duo approved than was about to hang up.  "Hey, Heero, was there someone living downstairs when we searched this place."

There was a moment of silence when Duo stopped picking at the paint and his mood turned completely serious.  "That's what I thought.  Thanks a lot though man, and don't worry.  We'll find her eventually," assured Duo hanging up the phone.  "Alright than Mr. Lampe, who the hell are you really?"

Taking one last glance around the place Duo turned and left with the nagging feeling that there was something important behind that wall.  Something that he and the others are supposed to find, the only thing holding them back was the law and Lady Une.  Nothing else would have kept Duo from tearing down that wall at that moment except for those reasons.  _Perfect Relena, when you're out of office you start to use the law to your advantage, aggravating us so much.  At least it's Heero's problem now,_ smirked Duo ascending the stairs to his car.

"If Jackson doesn't live downstairs, than who does?" Duo thought out loud to himself as he got into the car.  "Guess it's time to do some researching of my own while in Spain."

Who is Relena poll:

Draca:  2

Salimar:  2

Lynn:  1


	11. Realization

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters. 

People, I know that I haven't been giving out clues as to who Relena is recently, but understand that I'm also trying to show how her disappearance has been affecting the others (not just Heero).

Sitting in the meeting in New York, Quatre began to wonder, _Is this what I really want to be doing?  _The thought had occurred to him more than once over the years since he had taken his father's place, after all he was the only son of the family, but he did get advise from his older sisters, the ones that cared enough to see him from time to time.  It was a burden that he had to bear and used to not bear it alone, when she was around.

_Can't even say her name in your own thoughts, how sad is that Quatre?_ he told himself restraining himself from chuckling out loud from how pathetic he was finding himself to be.  Glancing off to the empty seat across from him Quatre could almost imagine her sitting up straight near the edge of her chair watching Representative Wilson drawl on what former Untied States of America needed and what the other countries and colonist should do.  There she would be, listening attentively to every word he spoke until he finished and heard the other 12 representatives put in their thoughts and ideas until they came to an agreement, without her interjection. 

Thinking back at the time when that would be true Quatre took note of something he had been ignoring for a long while, the change that had been occurring right under his nose, she was becoming useless.  In the meetings, such as the one he was in, she was bored out of her mind on the inside and was quite, reserved, never giving out her advises anymore.  It was like she was invisible to everyone else until she left, than the others would notice her for the first time.

_How could I have missed that?  Here I am, one of her friends, and I ignored all the signs that she was getting bored with this way of life!  Perhaps I could have kept her from running away.  Oh why didn't I confront her or at the very least let Heero, Duo, or Hilde know?_ Quatre asked himself completely tuning out the speech as his eyes grew wide for an instant, just long enough for Trowa to take notice.

Throughout the entire meeting Trowa had kept both eyes on Quatre and everything else to his surroundings.  During that time, about two hours earlier, he had paid close attention to Quatre's actions which included glancing at the seat where Relena would be seated and go back to listening to the speech.  The process had been repeated numerous times throughout that time span and it was beginning to worry Trowa, Quatre was usually never like that, but than again it was his first time being Quatre's bodyguard.

At the very last minute Quatre's bodyguard had fallen ill with a fever of 103.1 and was placed in bed, and than all the other bodyguards were still back in the colonies, probably beating themselves up for allowing Quatre to come to Earth with only one bodyguard.  Out of 'kindness' Catherine volunteered Trowa, not that he minded, but the wink she gave him when she pushed him towards the gate at the airport got him a bit worried what her true agenda was.

Now when Quatre's eyes had widen in what appeared to be realization Trowa began to get rather nervous, something was going through his friend's head, and from the looks of it the thought wasn't a pleasant one.  Judging by the stares Quatre was getting from the other representatives had noticed too.

Representative Onizuka was the first one to speak up in broken down English, "Winner-san, you feel fine?"

Being jerked out of his thoughts Quatre turned his gaze from Relena's seat to the representative, his eyes blank until his brain processed what was spoken to him.  Clear his throat and blinking a few times to rid his eyes of the blank expression Quatre replied, "No, I'm afraid I feel quite ill.  If I may be excused from the remainder of this meeting I shall take my leave."

"Quite so," agreed Representative Wilson full-heartedly.  "Take your leave and we shall be certain to inform you of what has taken place during your absence."

"It is appreciated," nodded Quatre getting up from his chair than pushing it in before leaving the conference room with Trowa following closely behind.  It wasn't until they were in the elevator that Quatre even bothered to say a word again, "Was it really that noticeable this time?"

"I cannot account for previous occasions but it was obvious to everyone there," answered Trowa standing between the elevator doors and Quatre.  Deciding against his initial idea of asking Quatre where his thoughts had wandered off to, Trowa settled with waiting until Quatre was ready to tell him for it was not his affair.

"Can't believe that I had not taken action when I noticed," muttered Quatre putting a hand to his head like he had a headache or was about to collapse into tears.  All Trowa did in return was shoot a backwards glance at his blond friend and waited for him to continue with his scolding.  "I saw it in her almost everyday, at every meeting, during every convention and fundraiser, she was becoming bored and filled with feelings of uselessness."

"You cannot blame yourself for Relena running away, Quatre," stated Trowa with a bit of emotion in his words.  "She ran away on her own accord, not because of any of us."  The elevator door opened and Trowa was the first to step out and scan the area quickly for any suspicious person lingering around.  Seeing that there were none he motioned for Quatre to come out of the elevator and than began to lead him out to the front to the rented rebuilt and remodeled 1965 Pontiac LeMans Grand Touring.

Opening Quatre's side first, Trowa still kept an eagle eye out for anyone that may want to try an assassination on Quatre, no one.  Closing the door behind Quatre, Trowa went to the opposite side and got inside the classic car.

Though Trowa preferred a motorcycle or his truck to a car, he decided that driving around in a classic was better than renting a limo.  He just didn't trust other people's driving in cars.  That was why he preferred motorcycles to cars, than he knew that he was in control of the steering.

"You're wrong Trowa," piped up Quatre once Trowa started up the car, had shifted it correctly, and was pulling out into traffic.  "She did run away from one or all of us.  I really don't want to point the finger at anyone, but Heero seems to have been the one that may have pushed her over her boundaries of tolerance."

"Are you implying that she found out about Sylvia and Heero, the pain of heartbreak caused her to think that running away was the only way out?" questioned Trowa finding it a bit likely, he would never put it past Relena.

"Not at all, just that he was the straw that broke the camel's back," corrected Quatre.  "There were other reasons why she ran away, not just because of Heero."

"If that's true than why did she not tell one of you?" inquired Trowa.

With a small smile of irony Quatre turned to Trowa, "None of us were listening to her or any of the signs."  From than on the drive was quiet, without an exchange of words anymore.

*****

Three days later…

Adjusting the jacket of the tuxedo Heero began to ask himself for the millionth time that evening, _Why am I stuck in a tuxedo, going to a fundraiser as Sylvia's date and bodyguard?_  He had hated tuxedos every since the first fundraiser he went to with Relena as her bodyguard.  That evening he made the vow that he would kill the person who came up with the tuxedo, but than remembered that the person was most likely already dead.

He stood there for a few minutes before he saw Sylvia come out of the hotel in a ghost white dress that had short sleeves and hung off her shoulders but covered any area that eyes were not to travel to, and it flowed gently, only brushing against the ground.  In his eyes she was stunning, even with her hair pulled back into multiple braids and in a bun instead of it being down and having the hair in front of her ears pulled back.

Yes, in Heero's eyes she had done something that Relena could never do, grow up into a woman instead of a teenager under the delusion of having grown up.  It was how he had viewed Relena ever since he had met her, certainly she had grown stronger but she just never grew out of being a naïve, pampered teenager leaving in a world of wealth and poser friends.  Even Sylvia came from the same world, but she wasn't as naïve as Relena and she wasn't as apt to peace as Relena was, Sylvia knew when time came to fight or not.  He also knew that she spared him just so that he could live the rest of his life knowing that he had killed pacifists who could possibly have prevented the war from coming into existence.

"Didn't know if you remembered to come or not," smiled Sylvia floating down the stairs to him while his mask of no emotion maintained its presence on his face.

Offering his arm he waited for her to take it before answering, "The thought of leaving has crossed my mind but I decided to help you through this torturous evening."

Smiling up at Heero Sylvia bit back a laugh of amusement,  "I can't tell if you're attempting to be funny or if that's a fluke."  Not responding Heero opened the limo door for Sylvia and guided her inside it before going inside after her, he had at least learned some manners from being Relena's bodyguard.  "Ready for this evening?"

"Hn." 

Who is Relena (updated) poll:

Draca:  3

Salimar:  3

Lynn:  2


	12. Funraiser

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Characters.  Sorry I hadn't updated at all last weekend, my computer wouldn't open Word for me and was having some other problems with the system, but it's fixed so I will make sure to update twice this weekend.  

Warning:  Sorry people but the dreadful lyrics are back and this time they're not Japanese songs.  Sorry but I don't think everyone in the series would understand Japanese even if they are all representatives.  No, I don't own any of these songs.

Entering the ballroom with his date at his side and several elder men rushing to greet her, asking for a dance later on to discuss some situation or another.  He was used to it though, especially since he had to go through the exact same thing with Relena when they would go to fundraisers such as the one he and Sylvia were at.  Also just like Relena, Sylvia plastered on a good natured and polite facade that was almost unnecessary. 

Instead of listening to the small talk and greetings exchanged by Sylvia and the old representatives, Heero glanced around the ballroom out of habit and also to see if Quatre was there.  That would make his day if he ever saw Quatre there.  Though a part of him was hoping that while dancing with Sylvia, later on, Relena would just show up in a nice black dress and apologize for making everyone worried.

_Never going to happen so you can stop hoping,_ Heero reminded himself noticing that there were a few figures moving in the background behind the orchestra.  It made him a bit suspicious but when he wanted to check it out his duty of protecting Sylvia got into the way.  Instead, he settled for letting Marquis Welitz go investigate the matter, even if it were highly dangerous to let a civilian do so.

Watching carefully, Heero noticed that the Marquis didn't return to his party, he was the host, for quite a while until the orchestra took a break and began to split up.  Than a few of the percussionists stayed behind and began moving some of the instruments off to the side bring forth a drum set.

"Something must be up if they're doing all that," noted Sylvia as Heero led her off the dance floor and off to the side.

"Exactly," nodded Heero as Quatre joined them.

"Do either of you know exactly what's going on?" he inquired watching the members of the orchestra roll out some amps and bring in a keyboard than retreat to the back only to bring out some sheets of music.

"Not at all, though I think I have a hunch," answered Sylvia causing both of the boys to look at her with curious eyes.  "Think about where we have seen a keyboard and amps before."   

Both boys thought and Heero got the idea, though he refused to show that he did, whereas Quatre was racking through his brain for the answer.  So many places that he has been to and so many people he has met, where could he have seen all that before?  

With five microphones being set up did Quatre actually realize who Sylvia was hinting at.  "For Rel," he muttered piecing together the clues.  "What could they be doing here though?  Also, why would they be out of Italy?"

"All questions that we shall have to ask of them," Heero stated simply as the Marquis came to the front microphone and began to introduce his special entertainment.

"So this is what Sage meant when he told me that he had some special plans for this weekend outside of Verona," commented Sylvia putting a finger to her chin.

"When did you talk with Sage?" questioned Heero not having such knowledge of these actions.

"The day we were supposed to go out to lunch with them I went with Sage.  I had invited him to come with us to this fundraiser so me and him could catch up some more, but he told me he was business with things out of Verona," replied Sylvia.  "I didn't know he was coming here though."

"Don't think he meant for you to know until now," remarked Quatre as the band members filed out:  Draca, Sage, Lynn, Adam, and Salimar as the Marquis called off their names in that order.  "Just our lucky, eh, Heero?"

"More like, just my luck," corrected Heero.

"Well put," approved Quatre watching how the band took their places and two of the percussionists from the orchestra took places at the chimes and tambourine, and than a trumpet player joined them with a sheet of music.  "They're not going to sing the same songs as last time?"

"Why not?  Those are probably the only songs that they actually know," Heero declared dryly as the band got their instruments in tune and Salimar played a short scale on the piano before going over to set up the keyboards.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of myself and the entire 'For Rel' band we would like to express our thank yous to Marquis Weridge for persuading Marquis Welitz to have us perform for you tonight.  Thank you, gentlemen," Draca announced.  "Normally we would sing all of our original songs but for tonight we shall be like a live jukebox for your entertainment."

"Let's start off with some major classics!" stated Lynn as she signaled the band to start up.  Starts up on the drums and the bass, electric, and keyboards join in.  As Draca takes her microphone from the stand and began to sing in a call and response form with herself verses Lynn and Salimar.

"Can you move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Come on ladies rock the party   
Shake your body dance on the party."  At that moment the band got quieter so that way it didn't take much for Adam to sing over them.  
  
"Come on everybody   
This move it on now   
Wanna take your back to the old school   
Can you feel the fine   
Let's dance to the rhythm   
And let me see you vine   
The way strain."  It switched over to Sage in the background.  
  
"Come back and to the twist   
And the electric style   
Yeah, yeah."  Once again, the band increased its sound to the chorus while the call and response returned between the same band members.  
  
"Can you move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Come on ladies rock the party   
Shake your body dance on the party."  There were three down notes that the entire instrumental part of the band did together than continued with the instrumental sound for a bit before the song switched back over to Sage.  
   
"Get in and to the dungle   
Came back in the day   
We frame and to ya   
Baha and get to yeah   
And we've see everybody   
On the floor   
And to in the running man   
  
To the rhythm and the day yeah   
A walk yeah feel are you can."     
  
"Can you move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Come on ladies rock the party   
Shake your body dance on the party."  Draca took control again with the microphone for the last small part before the chorus would finish off the song.  
  
"Come on baby let's to the rock, rock   
We're going in a dance floor   
So shake in up..... and don't stop (Everyone froze unless they played there)

…and do the robot."  
  


"Can you move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Can you Move it like this   
I can shake it like that   
Come on ladies rock the party   
Shake your body dance on the party."

The response was a bit unexpected, a few claps from a few of the class members, enthused claps mind you while everyone else's was out of respect.

"That sounds weak people.  Also, don't clap if you don't like it, please, we would like you all to be blunt with us," implored Salimar shaking her head slightly.

"You suck!" came a voice from the background.

"Like that, thank you sir, whoever said that.  That's what we need to know, though we may ignore that comment for this evening," teased Lynn.

"For those of you who do not know our music, all the songs that we are singing tonight are NOT our songs.  Our songs are usually in Japanese, these songs are just some classics that we pulled out from the internet on ancient music.  These songs maybe dead to the world right now but that's the exact reason why we brought them here tonight.  Though we shall play one of our songs for you later on this evening," explained Draca switching her microphone for an ear piece microphone.

"I vote for Salimar to sing the next song," voted Adam while Lynn took off her guitar.

"What?!" Salimar cried out in outrage.  Noticeable to both Quatre and Heero that the band didn't prepare what exactly they were going to do for this event and were just winging it all.  "I protest to that!"  All the crowd did was wait impatiently for the band to get on with their show and to stop talking and to stop arguing.

Noting the frowns from the crowd Lynn decided that this needed to stop and said, "I'll join in with you Salimar and so will Draca."  Taking one of the other two ear piece microphones Lynn attached it into her ear than took the other one and handed it to Salimar who reluctantly took it.  All three girls got to the front of the crowd and Sage cued the trumpet player to be ready to play.

Immediately both the drums and singers started at the same time in a swing style song, the singers snapping their fingers to the beat.

"A crisp white shirt, stylin' tie  
Jacket, slacks, shoes that shine  
Starched light, martinized  
Cotton's hot buttoned up or not   
  
Long sleeve, French cuff  
Studly, cuddly, sensuous  
Hey guys, three words  
You can't go wrong with  
A crisp white shirt,"  all three girls vocalized before Lynn and Draca moved to start working the crowd into the music by clapping their hands, snapping their fingers, and just by starting to swing dance a bit with some of the men.  
  
"Women will confirm if you wanna make heads turn  
And boyfriends to get jealous  
I'm tellin' you now so listen up fellas  
Silk may show you hustle  
And tee's may show your muscle  
But the guy the girls are choosin'  
Is wearing that brand new Van Heusen!" sang Salimar during the whole time having a huge grin on her face as she joined the crowd, going near Trowa (once again Quatre's bodyguard who was standing off to the side).  
  
"A crisp white shirt, stylin' tie  
Jacket, slacks, shoes that shine  
Starched light, martinized  
Cotton's hot buttoned up or not   
  
Long sleeve, French cuff  
Studly, cuddly, sensuous  
Hey guys, three words  
You can't go wrong with  
A crisp white shirt," the three girls sang while doing some action such as making a gesture to the white shirts of the tuxedoes while singing.

   
"Wear flannel in the forest 

Plaid if you're a tourist  
Tank top if you're swimmin'   
And polyester if you don't like women  
Sweatshirt when you're gruntin'  
Thermals when you're huntin'  
Girls will treat you like Adonis  
They even love 'em for pajamas!"  vocalized Salimar as she moved through the crowd pointing out to anyone wearing the shirt attires mentioned or making some action when she couldn't find one.

"A crisp white shirt, stylin' tie  
Jacket, slacks, shoes that shine  
Starched light, martinized  
Cotton's hot buttoned up or not   
  
Long sleeve, French cuff  
Studly, cuddly, sensuous  
Hey guys, three words  
You can't go wrong with  
A crisp white shirt… (The trumpet crescendo to forte with the vocals).

…stylin' tie  
Jacket, slacks, shoes that shine  
Starched light, martinized  
Cotton's hot buttoned up or not   
  
Long sleeve…French cuff  
Studly, cuddly, sensuous  
Hey guys, three words  
You can't go wrong with  
A crisp…white…shirt!"  The trumpet played its last note and this time more of the guests were applauding for real and not just for politeness, now they were actually enjoying the music.

"Whoa!  Sounding much better people but we only get to do six more songs than it is back to the orchestra, after all they're the ones getting paid to play for you, not us," Draca told the crowd after glancing at Marquis Weridge for the sign that they had six more songs to do before they had to leave.  Meanwhile, Lynn and Salimar returned to their instruments also removing the ear piece microphones.  "Until our six songs are done we shall continue singing for your pleasure, but for now I think it's about time to slow the pace down slightly, but not too much."

With Draca's cue the band began to hum into their microphones and the bass guitar played softly under that.  They hummed for a good measure of time before Sage began to sing low into his microphone while everyone else continued to hum.

"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain

We all have sorrow…

But if we are wise 

We know that there's always tomorrow." 

"Lean on me, when you're not strong 

And I'll be your friend 

I'll help you carry on 

For it won't be long 

Till I'm gonna need 

Somebody to lean on," sang Draca sang softly and at the same pace as Sage but when she finished the song's rhythm sped up with the addition of the drums a bit of electric guitar as well as keyboards, and turned into a move club remix format. 

"Girl, please swallow your pride 

If I have things you need to borrow 

For no one can fill those of your needs 

That you don't let show," jumped in Adam while  

"Lean on me, when you're not strong 

And I'll be your friend 

I'll help you carry on  (Lean on me!)

For it won't be long 

'Til I'm gonna need 

Somebody to lean on," the entire group contributed to in vocalization before turning over to Lynn and the band doing a bit of echoing with her.

"So just call on me brother, when you need a hand 

We all need somebody to lean on 

I just might have a problem that you'd understand 

We all need somebody to lean on." 

"If there is a load you have to bear 

That you can't carry 

I'm right up the road 

I'll share your load 

If you just call me," sang Draca having been inside the crowds again and currently dancing with Quatre on the dance floor among a few other aristocrats. 

"Lean on me, when you're not strong 

And I'll be your friend 

I'll help you carry on  (Lean on Me!)

For it won't be long 

'Til I'm gonna need 

Somebody to lean on."

"Do just call on me brother, when you need a hand 

We all need somebody to lean on 

I just might have a problem that you'd understand 

We all need somebody to lean on." 

"Lean on me, when you're not strong 

And I'll be your friend 

I'll help you carry on (Lean on Me) 

For it won't be long 

Till I'm gonna need 

Somebody to lean on 

Lean on me..."  The song ended all at once, no fading and no instrumental exit. 

"Now, wasn't that fun?  Thank you Quatre for the dance," winked Draca before returning to the rest of the band.  "Alright ladies and gents, we shall have our dear electric player, Lynn show you how well she is able to sing."  Lynn's eyes grew wide with surprise as the orchestra percussion player pulled out a country styled guitar and put it into tune.  "Come on country girl, show them what you are able to sing!"

"You are so dead, Draca," growled Lynn as she replaced the ear piece microphone back into her ear.  "Okay, people, me being a slight Texan girl, I shall be showin' ya'll a little bit of the country music.  It ain't all what most people think it is."  The orchestra player started up on the guitar than Sage joined in and that was all the instrumental background music for the entire song.

"Katie's sitting on the old front porch

Watching the chickens peck the ground

There ain't a whole lot goin' on tonight

In this one-horse town

Over yonder comin' up the road

In a beat-up Chevy truck

Her boyfriend Tommy, he's layin' on the horn 

Splashin' through the mud and the muck 

Her Daddy says he ain't worth a lick 

When it comes to brains, he got the short end of the stick 

But Katie's young and man, she just don't care

She'd follow Tommy anywhere," sang Lynn with a lot of emotion as she moved around the crowds of representatives.  Than she came up to Heero and Sylvia where she stopped as Draca and Salimar joined in with her for the first three lines of the next half of the chorus.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

"_She's in love with the boy_

_She's in love with the boy_

_She's in love with the boy_

And even if they have to run away 

She's gonna marry that boy someday." 

"Katie and Tommy at the drive-in movie 

Parked in the very last row

They're too busy holdin' on to one another 

To even care about the show

Later on outside the Tastee Freeze

Tommy slips something on her hand

He says my high school ring will have to do 

'Til I can buy a wedding band

Her Daddy says he ain't worth a lick

When it comes to brains, he got the short end of the stick

But Katie's young and man, she just don't care

She'd follow Tommy anywhere."

"_She's in love with the boy_

_She's in love with the boy_

She's in love with the boy 

And even if they have to run away

She's gonna marry that boy someday."

"Her Daddy's waitin' up 'til half past twelve

When they come sneakin' up the walk

He says young lady get on up to your room

While me and Junior have a talk

But Mama breaks in, says don't lose your temper

 It wasn't very long ago

When you yourself was just a hay-seed plowboy

Who didn't have a row to hoe 

My Daddy said you wasn't worth a lick

When it came to brains you got the short end of the stick

But he was wrong and honey you are too

Katie looks at Tommy like I still look at you"

"_She's in love with the boy_

_She's in love with the boy_

_She's in love with the boy_

What's meant to be will always find a way

_She's in love with the boy_

She's in love with the boy

She's in love with the boy

What's meant to be will always find a way

She's gonna marry that boy someday."  The song ended with Lynn back with the rest of the band and standing beside Draca.

"Was it just me, or did it seem like she was trying to get a message across?" muttered Sylvia when the song was done and she noticed Lynn's eye on herself and Heero.

"Perhaps," was all Heero replied.


	13. Let's Finish

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.   Evil lyrics are back.  None of these songs belong to me they belong to their respected bands.

****

"Now, doesn't she have a beautiful voice?" asked Draca being extremely playful with Lynn as she winked at her friend. "Though I think we have been neglecting the boys too much, what do you say ladies?"  There were a few daughters of the representatives that cheered at the idea, but they were only teenagers anyway.  "My…boys, you two have a bit of a fan club all of your own."

"Haleluha to that sister!" agreed Salimar completely as she moved away from her instrument and towards Draca.  "Anyways, we are all about being different and singing different types of music.  So let's hear some of it boys!"

It opened up with Lynn and Adam for a few measures than Sage joined in.

"8 o'clock Monday night and I'm waiting  
To finally talk to a girl a little cooler than me  
Her name is Nona she's a rocker with a nose ring  
She wears a 2-way, but I'm not quite sure what that means

And when she walks, all the wind blows and the angels sing  
But, she doesn't notice me

Cause she's watching wrestling  
Creaming over tough guys  
Listening to rap metal  
Turntables in her eye," sang Adam while Salimar and Draca kept the crowds going.

"It's like a bad movie; she is looking through me, if you were me than you'd be,  
Screaming, "someone shoot me," as I fail miserably,  
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want  
She's the girl all the bad guys want," both brothers vocalized in sync with each other.

"She likes the Godsmack and I like Agent Orange  
Her CD changer's full of singers that are mad at their dad  
She said she'd like to score some refer and a 40  
She'll never know that I'm the best that she'll never have

And when she walks, all the wind blows and the angels sing  
But, she'll never notice me

Cause she's watching wrestling  
Creaming over tough guys  
Listening to rap metal  
Turntables in her eyes  
  


She likes them with a mustache  
Racetrack season pass  
Driving in a Trans Am  
Does a mullet make a man?" Sage sang into his microphone as he got really into the music.

"It's like a bad movie; she is looking through me, if you were me than you'd be,  
Screaming, "someone shoot me," as I fail miserably,  
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want  
She's the girl all the bad guys want," both of the brothers sang, repeating the last line three more times.

"There she goes again with fishnets on  
And dread locks in her hair  
She broke my heart I want to be sedated  
All I wanted was to see her naked," Adam sang than it switched to Sage and little to no instruments accompanied him.

"Now I'm watching wrestling  
Trying to be a tough guy  
Listening to rap metal  
Turn tables in my eyes  
  


I can't grow a mustache and I ain't got no season pass  
All I got's a moped."

"It's like a bad movie; she is looking through me, if you were me than you'd be,  
Screaming, "someone shoot me," as I fail miserably,  
Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want  
She's the girl all the bad guys want," the brothers ended, repeating the last line five more times before the song ended.

The teenaged girls applauded the loudest amongst the crowd while Salimar and Draca returned the men they stole back to their wives or dates, it would be rude not to.  Than they returned to the band and high-fived both of the boys with a congratulations before taking their normal places.  

"These boys certainly can sing, can't they ladies and gentlemen?" declared Lynn applauding the boys before nodding to Draca who just smiled evilly for a second and gave her a wink.  This interaction did not go unnoticed by Heero or Quatre, who both just glanced at each other and silently agreed that those two girls were up to something.  Than Trowa came up to them with his eyes on the band.

"Is it just me, or are those three trying to hint to something of some sort, especially that Lynn girl?" Trowa whispered to the former gundam pilots while Sylvia promptly ignored them and observed the band.

"Yes, that is what it does seem," agreed Heero though his logical part of his mind was telling him that he had just found Relena or at least someone who could lead him to Relena, another part of his mind kept saying that this was too easy, to obvious for Relena.  Than his logical self would counter saying that she is only a child, an amateur at disguising herself, and than his other part would argue that was why he was still having a hard time finding her.

"Now, this time for certain, Salimar is going to sing our first true slow song of the evening for all of you great people that keep the peace for all of us," announced Draca directing everyone's attention to the stunned but defeated Salimar, this time she couldn't say no.

Waving a bit and forcing a smile, one that reminded Quatre a bit of the smile he would see Relena use at meetings when being greeted or being escorted out.  Of course, at that time of day it was Duo who was usually being her bodyguard and never really took notice of it.  Still, it brought Quatre a great deal of pain just to see it again and to think about the missing Vice Foreign Minister at such a festive time.

Moving to the piano, Salimar sat down there while Lynn took control of the keyboard, setting it to her liking.  Than Salimar adjust the microphone on the piano to suit her before testing out the tuning of the piano and its tone.  Satisfied with the quality of the sound she turned to Lynn and gave her a nod.  So Lynn played the keyboard solo for a few measures before the piano, bass, and light drums entered.

"I don't know what it is that you've done to me 

But it's caused me to act in such a crazy way 

Whatever it is that you do when you do what you're doing 

It's a feeling that I don't understand 

'Cause my heart starts beating triple time 

With thoughts of loving you on my mind 

I can't figure out just what to do 

When the cause and cure is you 

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak 

I lose all control and something takes over me 

In a daze and it's so amazing 

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me 

By my side, I swallow my pride 

Your love is so sweet 

It knocks me right off of my feet 

Can't explain why your loving makes me weak 

Time after time, after time I try to fight it 

But your love is strong, it keeps on holding on 

Resistance is down 

When you're around, cries fading 

In my condition, I don't want to be alone 

'Cause my heart starts beating triple time 

With thoughts of loving you on my mind 

I can't figure out just what to do 

When the cause and cure is you 

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak 

I lose all control and something takes over me 

In a daze and it's so amazing 

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me 

By my side, I swallow my pride 

Your love is so sweet 

It knocks me right off of my feet 

Can't explain why your loving makes me weak

I try hard to fight it 

No way can I deny it 

You're love's so sweet, knocks me off my feet 

I get so weak in the knees, I can hardly speak 

I lose all control and something takes over me 

In a daze and it's so amazing 

It's not a phase, I want you to stay with me 

By my side, I swallow my pride 

Your love is so sweet 

It knocks me right off of my feet 

Can't explain why your loving makes me weak

(I get so weak) 

Blood starts racing through my veins 

(I get so weak) 

Boy, it's something I can't explain 

(I get so weak) 

Something 'bout the way you do 

The things you doo-ooo-ooo, it... 

(Knocks me right off of my feet) - OHHHHHHH, off my feet 

Can't explain why your lovin' makes me weak…"  The song ended and Salimar finally opened her eyes, which had been closed throughout the song looking as if she had been transported into another world where all that mattered was the music and the lyrics; none of the crowd existed to her.  Meanwhile, the people that were dancing around on the dance floor lingered in their steps a bit longer.  Even Heero and Sylvia were still floating across the dance floor when the song ended. 

It was just a sense of feeling the band gave the audience when singing a slow song, each member of the band had this effect in different ways.  Not angelic voices but voices that captured people's attention with the emotion behind it, something that even orchestras can lack in.  That was how Heero was feeling at least and as he judged the other people around him he could tell they felt something similar to it too.

This feeling reminded Heero of the one other time he had felt this way but that was one of the days when Relena was around, and he prefer not to think about her, not while he was with Sylvia.  He may not know how to be a boyfriend, or even human for that, but he knew when his girlfriend gets hurt, and that's when his mind wonders.

"Heero, are you alright sweetie?" Sylvia inquired as she noticed his spazzed expression.

Putting on a small smile that wouldn't let anyone but a few people think he was lying, Heero nodded.  Leaning down he kissed her on the cheek and than whispered in her ear, "Fine."  No need to let her know the truth.

Meanwhile, Draca ditched her dance partner, Trowa, and headed back to the band only to stand near the drum set and by Adam.  "Aren't those two close?" awed Sage sarcastically as he made a general gesture towards Heero and Sylvia.

"Can say that again," scuffed Draca crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them.

"What's the game plan?" asked Lynn joining the group with Salimar right behind her.

"Last one, than your song, we are out of here, and than on the first flight back to Verona.  I don't want to be here any longer than necessary," Draca told them.

"Aw…come on, darling, that would be rude for us to dash away without chowing down on some food or paying our respects in person to the host and to Marquis Weridge," pointed out Adam.

"He's right, after all Marquis Weridge did get us this gig so we must thank him at the very least," added Salimar.

"Fine, we'll do this your way than.  We finish, we pack up, we thank, and than we are out of here," listed Draca.  "Sound good for all of you?"

"What about food?" asked Sage as everyone turned to him with raised eyebrows.  "Can't go home on an empty stomach, you know."

"Okay, we eat too," sighed Draca.  "Is that good for all of you."

"Yeah, but let's get back to the crowd they look a bit anxious," noted Salimar.

"Let's finish this than," declared Draca and the group returned to their instruments (Lynn to her guitar and Salimar to the keyboards).  Picking up an ear microphone Draca plastered on a smile and announced to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen I regret to inform you that this is the second to last song that we shall perform for you this evening.  We have one more after this song, one of our songs, to still entertain you with though."

People don't expect an update this weekend, I'm working 30 hours and so I won't have time to type or even write a next chapter.  Sorry.  Also, sorry that I didn't update last weekend either, mommy kept me off the computer.


	14. Seperation

For Rel

**Note: I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters. Evil lyrics are still here. None of these songs belong to me they belong to their respected bands.**

**Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I tried to update before I left for my week long vacation but the website wouldn't let me upload in document or website formats. Sorry, but thank you get this update and one on Monday. An early update. Worked on it while on vacation, see I think of you lovely reviewers. **

Electric guitar started the song by itself with some woeful yet slightly eerie sounding, than on the keyboards Salimar played some holy music sounding as if she were playing the organ. It was Draca who did the vocals.

"Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone  
I hear you call my name  
And it feels like home…"

The music sped up adding in the drums and bass to the mixture.  
  
"When you call my name it's like a little prayer  
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there  
In the midnight hour I can feel your power  
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there."

Softly in the background Lynn and Salimar began to "oh" while the music returned to being more Christian church type and slow down without the drums or bass for accompaniment.

"I hear your voice, it's like an angel sighing  
I have no choice, I hear your voice  
Feels like flying  
I close my eyes, Oh God I think I'm falling  
Out of the sky, I close my eyes  
Heaven help me."

Song sped up again just as it had done for the chorus earlier.

"When you call my name it's like a little prayer  
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there  
In the midnight hour I can feel your power  
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there."

Again, the music began to resume a heavenly and slow rhythm.

"Like a child you whisper softly to me  
You're in control just like a child  
Now I'm dancing  
It's like a dream, no end and no beginning  
You're here with me, it's like a dream  
Let the choir sing."

The music began to speed up and the crowd began to clap.

"When you call my name it's like a little prayer  
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there  
In the midnight hour I can feel your power  
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

When you call my name it's like a little prayer  
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there  
In the midnight hour I can feel your power  
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone  
I hear you call my name  
And it feels like…"

At this point the song was turning out to be a gospel-like song with the clapping and Draca working her way through the crowds.  
  
"Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there  
Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery  
Just like a dream, you are not what you seem  
Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there."

Now the song turned over to Salimar for a while.  
  
"Just like a prayer, I'll take you there  
It's like a dream to me."

The line was repeated three more times sounding as though Salimar was leading a choir during Sunday mass before returning the song to Draca.

"Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there  
Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery  
Just like a dream, you are not what you seem  
Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there

Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there  
Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery  
Just like a dream, you are not what you seem  
Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there

your voice can take me there…"

The song ended and the crowd exploded with applause, oh the band was bringing a whole new meaning to "bringing down the house". This was something that Quatre took great interest in since he had not seen anything receiving such great delight from the representatives since Relena being signed into her position. It was amazing.

"Thank you for your support ladies and gentlemen, but sadly this next song is our last for the evening. Our next song was written by our own band member, Lynn Voc, and will be sung by her as well. Take it away Lynn!" announced Draca as Lynn's solo song from the bar was sung and played by the band.

Most of the representatives didn't understand the words but they were all still moved, much like how they were during one of Relena's speeches. Another reaction that attracted Quatre's attention greatly, for he too was moved and he was becoming quite lonely without Relena around to look out for. She was just one of those people that would brighten his mood and make his problems go away despite her own, that's what he found so amazing and a bit attractive about her.

Even though he knew that Relena's true feelings of love were given to the former zero pilot, Quatre couldn't help but somehow hope that he would have even a slight chance with her. Than she ran away, the evening before he planned on suggesting the possibility of them being a couple at all. It was heartbreaking for him but he kept his feelings hidden, almost as well as Heero or Trowa but his eyes never betrayed his feelings unlike both of the other pilots. That was their weakness; their eyes.

As the song ended he took notice in how closely Heero and Sylvia were dancing across the dance floor, Sylvia leaning her head against Heero's chest while the former gundam pilot led the way keeping his eyes alert. It would make an excellent romantic scene if Heero's soldier senses didn't always kick in, causing him to be slightly paranoid. Another observation that Quatre had made, not for the first time either. No, he had noticed it when Relena would dance with Heero or when Relena would point out to him while they danced how Heero kept an eye on the galleries above for anyone.

It still bothered Quatre that Heero had kept leading Relena on, but than he felt that Relena should have given up on him long ago and looked for affection somewhere else. Although he would have preferred that person to be himself, Quatre would never interfere with Relena's happiness, even if it were with another person. That was one of the major reasons why he never truly took part in the search for Relena.

In his mind he figured that she would contact him if she ever felt the need to let him know how she was coming along. Still, for the past five months he had received one letter from her, without a return address of course, but it was hand written and long distanced letter. All she told him was that she needed time to herself and not to worry, for she was with trusting friends. He believed her, and that was the reason why he never told any of the other pilots of the letter.

"Are you well, Quatre?" Trowa spoke up tapping the young man on his shoulder.

"Yes Trowa, thank you for caring," confirmed Quatre though he felt that he was far from it.

"You're thinking of her again," noted Trowa.

Biting back a laugh and a grin Quatre just nodded, "That I am. Am I becoming that readable?"

"Not to everyone else but to me you are," assured the former Heavyarms pilot clasping a hand on the representative's shoulder in comfort. "Though I believe that you have more reason to miss her than the rest of us do."

"That I do not, I miss her just like the rest of you. I just wish she would have told me of her plans, I could have helped her escape from this and from _him_," Quatre corrected. All Trowa did was nod as Sylvia and her boyfriend approached them with the glow that seemed to cover most couples that were enjoying each other's company, even though Heero seemed a bit distracted.

"Perhaps we should speak with the band about Relena, since we all seem to think they're connected with her escape," suggested Sylvia seriously causing Trowa to shrug and Quatre to raise an eyebrow at the idea.

"It's not a hunch Sylvia, it's a fact," argued Heero despite the fact he knew Quatre would probably beg to differ on his opinion.

"Fact without evidence is void, Heero, you know that," Trowa reminded his friend. In return Trowa got Heero's number one glare that would silence a normal human, than again, Trowa wasn't a normal human. So, it had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Come now Heero, talk with any of them about the vice foreign minister," chided Sylvia, she wanted this subject done and over with. "How about that Lynn girl over there?" His girlfriend gestured towards Lynn as she unhooked the cables to her guitar and than being told something by Sage causing her to look in their direction. The others turned away but Heero kept eye contact with Lynn until she shrugged and returned to Sage.

"Hn," grunted Heero. _I need information on Relena but not from any of these girls, especially since any of them could be hiding her or could be…No! She could never pull off a disguise,_ Heero reassured himself though there was a feeling of doubt in the back of his mind.

Sylvia sighed exasperatedly which made Quatre feel that it was his turn to take over this plan of action. "Than how about we do this than, Trowa speaks with Salimar, Sylvia and you have a few words with Draca, and I handle Lynn," suggested the blond pilot running a hand through his hair.

"Great idea! I like the sound of that plan," agreed Sylvia but than noticed Heero's not impressed look.

"There's one problem with that plan, dear," he told Sylvia.

"Oh? What would that be, darling?" challenged Sylvia playfully as she poked him in the chest.

"Those three are always together, inseparable to an extreme. One cannot simply expect to speak to each one separate without dragging the other two along," explained Heero.

"Than perhaps we should keep them apart while they are apart than," advised Trowa motioning with his hand on how far apart each girl was. Draca was speaking with the Marquis with Sage, Lynn was speaking with Adam by their instruments (all of which were remaining in their respected places), and Salimar was chatting with Marquis Weridge.

Sighing in reluctance Heero nodded and the group of four went their separate ways to each of their separate girls. Even though Heero had the sense that they were nearing the end of their search so many things were plaguing his mind as he approached Draca, on being _what am I going to ask her?_


	15. Salimar

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

This explanation goes to Ashely Ortiz and anyone else interested.  I believe, through some of the comments Heero made about Relena during the series, that he does think of her as a child.  Especially since she has been sheltered and pampered her whole life.  Even though he does know that she has a strong will she is still a child in his eyes.  Also, since he didn't really have a childhood that most children do, I also believe he doesn't have a clue as to what he's saying.  That's my theory anyways for this story.

In addition, a special thanks goes to Chiara for giving me the correct Italian sentences in Chapter 2.  Thank you!  n_n  I really appreciate it!

Trowa approached the girl named Salimar after she parted from Marquis Weridge, which Trowa noted was a bit on the informal level.  He came up to her as she sat at an empty table writing in a small notebook while rocking her head to some soundless beat.  Not even when Trowa stood across from her did she acknowledge his existence, for she was lost in her own world of music.

Clearing his throat was the one thing that truly got the girl's attention, her head had jolted up out of her little world.  "Oh, didn't know you were there.  Please take a seat," offered Salimar gesturing to the chair next to her.

Nodding his thanks, Trowa sat down in a position that allowed him to keep an eye on Quatre and one on the girl he was to question.  His eyeing Quatre must have caught the girl's attention for she commented, "You like him."  This caused Trowa to shift his eyes to her for a second.  "Don't deny it."

"I deny nothing," Trowa insisted.  "You just…misunderstand."  Quite the contrary though, but he was not going to say anything of the sort to a stranger.

"That's why you keep your gaze glued to him right?" taunted Salimar biting the top of her pen with an amusing grin on her lips.

"I am his bodyguard, nothing more or less," he stated simply, it was the truth after all even though it was a bit of an understatement.

"Of course you are," giggled the girl before returning to her writings.  "It's okay, I had a crush on Adam when I was younger but than I found out that he didn't like girls in that way."

_A natural dislike for girls I am certain.  Just a sign of immaturity,_ Trowa told himself.  "How old were you at the time of your 'crush'?" he found himself asking.

"About twelve years old, before I moved to Korea, as I am sure you already knew though," she answered though a pinch of sarcasm had entered her voice when she mentioned that Trowa held that knowledge.

"I had no idea I assure you," claimed Trowa truthfully as his interest was caught by the notebook Salimar wrote in.  Than it returned forcefully to Quatre, where they rested.

"Really?  I highly doubt that with what Relena has told us about you preventers.  Once one has a bit of information, they all do, and Hilde got some information," snorted Salimar as she closed the notebook after noticing that it was attracting unwanted attention from Trowa.

"I'm not a preventer," the silencer stated firmly.

"Than what are you?" she challenged leaning closer to him with a raised eyebrow.

"A clown."  At this, the girl broke into fits of endless giggles which caused her to clutch her stomach as she attempted to calm herself after a few moments.  "You find that amusing do you?" noted Trowa casting her a questioning glance.  None of the other pilots ever laughed at his career choice.

"No, the mental image of you as a clown," the pianist laughed only to sense that Trowa did not fully understand her meaning.  "Think about it, you with a red, curly, puffy wig with big red shoes, red nose, and a ridiculous red outfit to go with it all.  Brings a rather disturbing yet hilarious image to mind, no?"

"I suppose," agreed Trowa chuckling softly as **he** thought about it.  "I am afraid that's not my attire though."

"Aw…!" pouted Salimar snapping her fingers.  "If you're a clown than why are you playing bodyguard for a colony representative?"

"My friend asked me if I would until his normal bodyguard felt well again," explained the usually quiet pilot knowing full well that Salimar was running the question and answer part of the conversation.  He needed to regain control of this interrogation as soon as possible before she escaped.  "Though that's not what I wanted to speak with you about, Ms. Reigns."

"Of course not, you wish to talk about the former Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian.  So, let's talk about her.  What do you wish to know about her?" smiled Salimar knowingly as she leaned back in her seat comfortably and crossed her legs not very lady-like.

"Let's start with where she could be," suggested Trowa glancing at Salimar quickly for any signs that she knew the girl's whereabouts.  There were none, but the question was worth a try.

"No idea.  She could be in space, on Mars, in Japan, Russia, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada, Africa, Iceland, Greenland, the Amazon, Chile, Brazil, or even in this very room for all that I know," she shrugged carelessly.  "Wherever she is, I just hope she's safe."

"Have you spoken to her recently?" questioned Trowa curiously.

The girl breathed out a sigh of exhaustion before she replied, "Not recently.  The last time she contacted me was about 3 weeks ago from a payphone somewhere in the Mexico area."

_Mexico?  Where was Heero 3 months back?  Most likely looking in France at that time,_ thought Trowa as he made a mental note to ask Heero about it.  "What did she tell you?" he continued hoping against hope that this girl wasn't as smart as he presumed her to be.

"Classified information," she informed him cracking a small smile and rolling her eyes.  Like she would tell, he couldn't call her on withholding information since he wasn't a preventer or a police officer.

Raising an eyebrow at this answer Trowa thought he should press the matter a bit more.  "Really?  Such as where she was?"

"No, but I know that she contacted me from the Mexico area by the noise in the background.  All we talked about were just her thoughts on recent subjects, people, and her own life.  Even about her little game that she was playing," responded the girl as she uncrossed her legs and glanced around the room, most likely realizing what the former pilots were up to.

Even so, she had caught Trowa's interest with the mention of a "game".  "Game?  What game?"  He just had to know.

All Salimar did was give him a rueful grin.  "Have you ever met Relena?" she asked back.

Taken back slightly Trowa regained his composure and answered, "Yes, a few times while standing in as Quatre's bodyguard, but I have never officially met her.  In fact, we never once held a conversation before."  Looking at Salimar, Trowa witnessed this expression of regret and sadness in her eyes.  It was sympathy and Trowa never liked getting sympathy from others.  "Why do you look like that?"

Shaking her head Salimar just smiled.  "Just thinking what you and her missed out on," she sighed sadly.  "You would've really liked her, the real her, not that polite act that she puts on for the public.  She was, and still is, so…agh!  I can't think of the word, but you would've liked the real her."  With that she got up ready to leave, and Trowa knew he should stop her.

"How do you know this?" inquired the curious pilot returning his gaze to Quatre.

Stopping before she could take a step away from the table, Salimar bent down to Trowa's ear, knowing that he wasn't watching her do so.  "I just do," she whispered softly than patted Trowa on the shoulder and began to make her getaway, but only to have her wrist be caught by Trowa.

"What was that, that you were writing earlier?" he asked her.

"Oh, well it's a song," she told him and Trowa knew it wasn't a lie for her heart beat did not speed up but rather slowed down as if she was relieved.

"For the band?"

"Yes, since it's tradition," she smiled, giggling a little bit.

"Tradition?"

"You see, each member of the band must write one song, by his or herself, and at least two instrument parts for that song," she explained to him.

"I would have thought that one song you sang in English in Verona would be your song," he told her.

"No, my song is in Japanese since Draca and Lynn enjoy the language."

"You don't?"  Trowa had a sense that there was something about the Japanese language that Salimar didn't enjoy.

"I don't mind it but I like variety," she told him.  That wasn't a lie either.

Cracking a tiny smile Trowa released Salimar from his grip.  "Thank you for your time, Ms. Reigns," he said formally.

"No problem, it was a pleasure speaking to you, Trowa.  It is Trowa right?" she assured him though, she wasn't certain of his name.

"Yes," confirmed Trowa.  Than she left returning to the instruments, Lynn, and Adam.  _Amazing that you remembered me from the bar in Verona._  


	16. Lynn

**For Rel**

**Note: I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.**

**Okay for the people that keep on asking, "How many more chapters?" My answer is: I don't know. This whole fic is being typed off the top of my head so I have no idea on how many chapters.**

This wasn't the first time that Quatre had ever spoken to a girl, please, he had 29 sisters, though it was true that he had yet to speak to all of them and recall all of their names, but he couldn't help being nervous as he went up to Lynn and Adam. Through his head he ran through the likelihood that this "interrogation" could help lead them to Relena; of course, that was if the band members were willing to give him the information which he was after. A hopeless folly, but it was worth a try.

"Evening," greeted Quatre, tapping the top of the amp near Adam and Lynn to get their attention. He had it as they jerked their heads toward him in surprise. "Mind if I have a word or two with the young lady?"

The request had been directed at Adam while Quatre's eyes were on Lynn the entire time. She physically reminded him of Relena with her blond hair and blue eyes.

"I believe that whatever you have to say to Lynn you can say to me as well Mr. Winner," Adam told him with a good natured smile but his eyes plainly told Quatre that he could guess what the young representative was up to. There was also an underlining fear in the bass player's eye that caught Quatre's interest for a second before he brushed it aside.

"Adam, it's okay. Why don't you go and get me some coffee, please? I'm running a little low on a caffeine rush," Lynn suggested to him.

Reluctantly Adam compelled to her wishes and went for the coffee, leaving the guitar player and representative alone to speak with each other.

"Skip any introduction that you may have ready to say and just get on with the questioning," Lynn stated directly.

This surprised Quatre to a small extent as he nodded; no need to rush to the questioning but if she wished to just get down to it than he would. "You knew that we were going to question you?" Quatre asked first, he felt that he should know how she knew for just that one statement could mean that she was indeed Relena.

"No, I just knew you were going to come over and ask some questions about Relena, especially since I'm fairly certain that you heard that we know her," explained Lynn, shrugging lightly. "That and you walking over here gave it all away. You know, for former gundam pilots you are slightly predictable."

"How so?" questioned Quatre, quirking an eyebrow at Lynn as he crossed his arms, he felt insulted by the remark.

"Well, if you think about it, when there are three girls in the room that know Relena and keep on meeting up with Relena's old friends, then that must make you guys believe that you can get some scratch out of us. Like where Relena is for instance," sighed Lynn, speaking in a tone that made it sound so obvious.

"Where is Relena?" That had to be asked even if it was expected Quatre felt that he had to ask. "Being her friend she has probably told her or given you a clue of where she is."

"Isn't that what you people are supposed to know since you're her friends too, or does that just concern those friends of hers that you were not aware of before?" countered Lynn, becoming quite defensive against the former pilot as she crossed her arms and held a look of defiant on her face. "Well? Were you or were you not Relena's friend?"

The thought had never crossed Quatre's mind before and he had to think about it for a while in order to actually word his reply correctly. "I suppose she was my friend to an extent but it was never more than someone to offer support or advice at the meetings or before a speech. Nothing truly beyond that," he told her in a soft voice that it was almost a whisper. "Still, you have yet to answer my question."

"That's because you just answered it for me, though I was her friend she never told me where she was whenever she would call me up or e-mail me," Lynn informed Quatre and that had caught his attention greatly.

"You have spoken to her? Have you talked with her recently!" His voice and body had betrayed him by showing his eagerness all over his face and in his eyes as he grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Mr. Winner, please calm yourself!" cried Lynn, making certain not to attraction to her and the young representative. She didn't need a scandal and she didn't think that Quatre wanted one either.

At last, Quatre released the girl and mumbled an apology before glancing around the room for anyone that may have noticed his impulsive action.

"I have not spoken with Relena in that last three months, but what I do know is that she was going to try to get into a college," Lynn finished explaining.

"College? Which one? Where? Why?" demanded Quatre becoming, quite frantic with the guitarist as Adam returned to them with Lynn's cup of coffee.

"Ah, thank you Adam," smiled Lynn, taking the cup and sipping it only to make a face. "Yuck! They put too many shots into this."

"Sorry but I had to explain and re-explain to the guy how you liked your coffee. Want me to go get you some sugar then?" offered Adam not even bothering to wait for an answer as he went off for some sugar.

"And some half and half please!" called out Lynn as she took another sip of the coffee. "Luh! Never could understand how you people can have coffee be so strong."

"You and Relena are the only two people that I have ever heard complain about the coffee," remarked Quatre then he realized what he had just said. "Hey…"

"Back to your questions, Mr. Winner, she never told me which college she was going to or where. If she had told me where then I would tell you, but she didn't. As for why, wouldn't you want to live at least four years of school years that were taken from you?" she asked, thinking that Quatre, being the same age as Relena, practically lived the same life-style so he would understand Relena's wishes.

"I never went to a real school save for a private school until I was ten, than I was home schooled. I do not understand that desire to live through school years," replied the representative.

"It's not about living those lost years, it's about living what she has left of her school years as a 19 year old until she is about 23 years old. She wants to have fun with people her age, without the bodyguards and security, without having to worry about her life being danger, being able to go out with her friends without some person doing complete background checks on everyone she's friends with and where she goes. Those small things of freedom can become important to someone who once had them but had them taken away," Lynn was close to yelling and it was attracting attention.

"Lower your voice Ms. Voc, I did not mean for you to get defensive about this conversation," whispered Quatre when he could finally speak.

"Don't you mean interrogation?" smirked Lynn, knowing the translations of his words.

"Call it what you will but I did not mean for you to attract unwanted attention to us," stated Quatre, gesturing with his eyes to a few of the older and nosier representatives that still had their eyes on the two.

"I see what you mean and I am sorry, but Relena has her reasons for running away without telling anyone," muttered Lynn, turning her gaze to her coffee. Tugging some of her hair behind her ear, Lynn asked, "Why do you seek Relena, Mr. Winner?"

"I wish to see her again, even if it meant that I would have to let her ago again." While saying this Quatre didn't know that he had tilted his head to the ground, but he knew that he was staring at his well polished shoes when he answered.

At this, Lynn leaned forward tauntingly and breathed softly in his ear, so soft that it felt like a soft breeze had passed by him. He barely even heard her, but he did remember the face he made as his reaction. It was one of shock. She had figured him out just by his words whereas Relena never had figured it out.

"I'll be certain to tell her to meet you if she calls anytime soon, as long as you don't tell the others I told you so," promised Lynn, giving Quatre a quick peck on the cheek before running off to Adam with her coffee in hand.

Having been left with nothing to do and stuck in thought, Quatre headed toward the table which Trowa occupied and where Salimar was leaving. It was hard to see if Trowa got any useful information from the pianist, but what Quatre feared was that she was another dead end. All he could hope for was that Heero and Sylvia were having better luck.

"Quatre," acknowledged Trowa as the representative took a seat next to his bodyguard. "How did it go?"

"Not good," sighed the former Sandrock pilot, putting his head in his hands. "I rather not talk of it right now."

"Understood," approved Trowa, eyeing Quatre with a slight tint of concern in his emerald eyes. He was worried for his former comrade of sorts. Rather then pressing the issue, Trowa remained silent and waited for Heero and Sylvia to join them at the table so the group could share information.


	17. Draca

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

Okay for the people that have problems with my grammatical errors, I'm sorry.  I am naturally bad at grammar, one could teach me repeatedly about everything in the English grammar and I would never get it.  Even if I re-read my chapters I will not be able to catch my grammar mistakes.  As far as having others read it (as I know you were going to suggest) there is no one around to read it for me.  Though I could always put off these updations and find someone.  Up to you people, you're the reviewers and all I am is the author, person who just writes this down.

Heero was torn between two decisions as Sylvia dragged him towards Draca, Sage, and the Marquise, to run away or to go through with this plan of action.  His "human" side-if that's what you want to call it-told him to run and find Relena without having to speak directly to her friend-or her.  Still, his soldier self argued that he needed to go in order to get closer to attaining his mission of finding Relena and it was his job to interrogate all that might have been involved in her disappearance.  So, he kept approaching Draca and her friend just as the Marquis went off to attend to other guests.

"Sage, great performance!" complimented Sylvia coming up to her long time friend and Draca.  Neither one of the band members looked surprised to see Sylvia but they did seem to be put off guard by Heero's presence.

"Huh, thank you Sylvia, I hadn't expected you to be here tonight but, of course, you're the new vice foreign minister, you're supposed to be at events like this one," greeted Sage ignoring the fact that Draca had just rolled her eyes.  "Oh…huh…Sylvia this is Draca.  Draca this is my friend…"

Taking the opportunity to cut in Draca quickly informed her friend, "We know Sage."  Her tone held the edge of irritation but at least it had kept Sage quietly though his shoulders slumped forward in rejection.  "What can we do for you lovers?"  Now there was venom lining Draca's voice as she directed the question at Sylvia.

Sylvia promptly ignored Draca's tone and turned to Heero to see if he wanted to start the questioning, or if she should begin it.  He wanted to start them.  "Where…?" he began but he was interrupted.

"No, I don't know where Relena is," Draca told him turning her attention to him.  She seemed rather exasperated and quite annoyed by the questioning that she must have figured was coming.

"That wasn't what I meant to ask you, Ms. Ison.  Where did you meet Relena?" Heero asked keeping his voice emotionless and calm.  It was his gift and curse for having been an assassin, to have limitless patience for ignorance from the "enemy"; in this case, Draca.

"At the St. Gabriel Institution," answered Sage for his friend as he quirked an eyebrow at the preventer.

"Both of you met Relena there?" Sylvia inquired to satisfy her curiosity for this newfound fact about Sage's life that he had so conveniently left out.  This made her a bit suspicious of him and what else he could have hidden from her.

" Yes, both of us.  Why would you like to know how we met someone you never knew?" challenged Draca getting on the defensive side of the questioning.  Judging by her consistent tone and it being directed at Sylvia, Heero drew to the conclusion that she really wasn't fond of Sylvia, or himself really.

"Getting the facts," he retorted attempting to keep the peace between the two girls for as long as he could, even if it killed him to do so.  Though he found it odd to know that the person who is maintaining the peace at present was letting some female band singer get under her skin with a few sentences.

"Of course," scoffed Draca before Sage put his hand over her mouth to get her to shut up for a few moments.

"You met our dear Lena there too right, Heero?" Sage mentioned only to receive Heero's trademark death glare.  "Always a great place to meet people, no?  I think so since I met so many of my…"

"I didn't meet her there," interjected Heero sending Sage a warning glare telling him to keep from babbling about his life during the rest of the interrogation if he didn't want a gun in his face.  Yes, Heero carried, at the very least, one loaded gun tucked in the back of his pants, number one place to hide a gun.

"Oh, my mistake," mumbled Sage rolling his eyes as he looked off towards the men's bathroom door.

"When was the last time you saw your friend?" Sylvia questioned keeping her voice cool and steady as she held eye contact with Draca, unblinking. 

Putting a finger to her chin, Draca hummed thoughtfully as she thought back to when the last time she saw Relena.  "Well, about five months ago on the news.  Long report about her disappearance," she replied knowing that wasn't what Sylvia meant but she didn't care, it answered the question.

"Face to face," added Heero making the question a bit more detailed as to not get another sarcastic answer from the girl; she was annoying him deeply.

At his slight change in tone and the ever so slightly twitching of Heero's left eye, Draca looked upon him in an amused way.  In her eyes Heero could tell that she was laughing gaily at him and that she was enjoying every minute of this interrogation to the fullest.  "Not since After Colony 193, before I moved," she said automatically.  It certainly didn't take much thought since that was a year that was hard to forget with the departure of all her real friends.

"The last time I spoke with her was during the war while she was in the Sanc Kingdom, but other than that it has only been a few calls and e-mails," Sage put in figuring they would want his answer as well.

"Nothing was ever spoken as to where she has been hiding?" Sylvia spoke up eyeing Sage with suspicion, watching him to see if he made one of his lying habits that she knew very well.  That was the up part of Sage, he couldn't tell a lie without indicating it as a lie.  No need for a lie detector for this boy.

"Not a word in the last 6 months," Sage responded reaching up to rub away the exhaustion from his eyes.

"Really?  Last time she spoke to me was right after I saw the news report about Lena's disappearance," shrugged Draca thinking back to that only to find it quite amusing.  At this bit of information Heero was about to comment about it but the girl continued, this time chuckling a bit.  "Though I must say that it's very much like her.  Pick up and run off for a while, though perhaps not for five months consecutively."

"How is that like her?  For the Vice Foreign Minister has no record of ever being a run away before taking office or during her time in her position," demanded Sylvia, really having no idea if any of that was true.

Sighing Draca began explaining her friend to Sylvia as if she were talking to a child.  "Lena had the habit of running away from home, for a few hours during the whole, whenever she needed to be completely alone, or when he father was away for work.  Sometimes it would be for the entire night."

"Impossible, Relena is incapable of such an act," snorted Heero finding all this to be rather had to believe.  Come on, Relena Dorlian, the child that had been placed in the position of Princess, then to Queen, and then to civilian during the Eve War.  Relena Dorlian, the teenaged girl surrounded by her ideals that were sometimes impossible or even unrealistic, not only to himself but to the world.  Relena Dorlian, the little girl that held the entire peace between countries, Earth and Space together.  He couldn't see her as capable of running away.

Yet his statement rewarded him with surprised looks from Sylvia and Sage, and a question gaze from the over-protective Draca.  "Are we talking of the same Relena?  As in Relena, the Vice Foreign Minister, Dorlian?  The Relena that was stuck being popular no matter where she was?" she asked as though there could be another Relena they were discussing.

"Hn.  Yeah that would be her," grunted Heero recalling how Relena was quite popular with both sexes when he went to the St. Gabriel Institution; she had been treated like a Goddess by her piers.

There was a cynical expression from Draca as she stepped right up to Heero, invading into his private space.  "How well do you _think_ you know Lena, Mr. Yuy?" she dared him to answer.

"Very well," he countered defying her boldness with his intense eyes, they have worked in the past so why not now?  "I was her head bodyguard for six months and her "friend" during the war.  I believe that I know her better than most would think."  His voice seemed to be losing its icy edge and turn to poison and spit.

"Interesting, than you should know that Relena was quite capable of doing a lot of things.  She wasn't popular for no reason- something other than her money-she took part in a lot of school activities such as drama and school plays, bet you had no idea about that," stated Draca.

"In fact I did," confirmed Heero, it was in her file from the school; he had done a lot of homework on his employer.

"Oh, than do you know how good she could be?" questioned Draca.  Nothing passed through Heero's mouth but, just like with Relena, no words were needed for his eyes never seemed to lie.  "I didn't think so.  Amazing that you think that you know her so well only find out that you don't know a thing."

"Back off Draca, just because Heero never knew Relena as a very close friend like you, doesn't mean that he doesn't know anything about her.  He probably knows more detailed information about her life than you will ever know," defended Sylvia stepping between the two.  "I'm fairly certain that you don't know everything about Relena that you believe you do know."

"Perhaps, but perhaps I do know," smirked Draca.  "Do you even remember what her voice sounded like?"  The question was spoken in such a low voice that Heero almost didn't hear it.

He's answer would be "no"; he didn't know what Relena's voice sounded like.  Five months without hearing it and with Sylvia's voice in his head there just didn't seem to be room for Heero to recall what Relena's voice sounded like no matter how hard he tried to remember.

Before deciding to end the conversation and head over to Lynn, Draca gave Heero a nod telling him that she knew he didn't remember her voice.  Now she knew as well, the one thing Heero refused to admit to anyone, even himself.  "Now, if you'll excuse us, we must set up for one last song by request of Marquis Welitz."  With that she slid past Heero and Sylvia, heading straight for the instruments with an air of smugness around her.

"Sorry about that you two, she was really close to Relena, almost as close as Adam was," reasoned Sage giving Sylvia a peck on the cheek before taking off.

"So, that didn't quite go as well as I would have liked it to have gone," remarked Sylvia dryly turning to her boyfriend.  There was a distant look in his eyes and a pinch of realization dawning in his persian orbs.  "Don't let her words get on your nerves Heero, you knew Relena as well as anyone could."

"Did I?" wondered Heero but Sylvia decided it best not to assure him for it would only lead into a long philosophy fight.  Not the way she would like the evening to end in.

_Of course you did,_ she thought.

Draca-  2

Lynn-  3

Salimar-  2


	18. The Call

For Rel 

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  Sorry that you all had to wait so long, I was working on my other fics too.

WARNING:  One last lyric to go through.

The two lovers joined Trowa and Quatre at the table to kind of exchange information and possible conclusions to this puzzle of theirs.  Each of them had next to no information except for Trowa, who mentioned that Relena was in Mexico 3 months ago according to Salimar.  That didn't help much since she could be anywhere.  Though Quatre informed them also of Relena's desire to be enrolled into a college somewhere.

"A college?  Why would she want to go to college?  Advance any education she had?" Sylvia questioned, obviously she had been home schooled as well.  Though Quatre concluded that she was most likely from a private school and feels that she has no need to learn more then what she had been taught in school.

"Perhaps she wants to have all the experiences that she lost by taking this position," suggested Quatre recalling how passionate Lynn spoke of Relena's wish to be normal, to live a normal life.

"Recovering lost time," added Trowa.  "That's something each of us can relate to in some fashion."

It was something that all of them could relate to.  Quatre wished to recover time to spend with his father and sisters, Sylvia to spend time with her grandfather, Trowa to recover his memories of who he truly is, and Heero to recover the time he had before Relena ran away, to prepare for it.

"That may be but this doesn't help with determining where Relena is or who she could be," Heero told them.  "Maybe it would be easier if I could remember what her voice sounded like."  The other two former pilots looked up at Heero in wonderment, they never would have thought that Heero, of all people, would forget what Relena's voice sounded like.

"You're not the only one Heero, I've forgotten it too," comforted Quatre being rather honest, especially since he saw her almost everyday at meetings and even during lunches once in a while.

As assuring as that should have been, it wasn't.  Instead, all that statement did was cause more conflicting emotions inside of Heero's heart-if he had one that is.  Many would argue and say that he had no heart, that it was just a void of space.  _Relena would agree with that_, he thought bitterly.

"Where do we go from here?" inquired Sylvia.

"Work," sighed Quatre.

"Home," stated Trowa casting a glance over to Quatre.

"England, I've got something to check out there.  It may help lead me to Relena's whereabouts," answered Heero leaning back in his seat and crossing his legs.  "You are heading to your mother's house."

"What?  Why?" demanded Sylvia not taking a liking to having her boyfriend running her life on where she goes and who she is going to see.  That was not how relationships worked in her mind and what she believed in everyone else's lives, except for maybe Heero's.

"I want you there to check out something," Heero told her then turned to her with the tiniest of what may have been a smirk.  "Anyways, wouldn't it be great to see your mother again, after theses past five months?"

"I suppose so, but what do you want me to at my mother's?"

"Ladies and Dear Gentlemen, it has come to our attention that we have received quite a few compliments about our talent as performers, so as to say "Thank you" we will sing one last song to keep the spirits of this crowd up," announced Draca capturing everyone attention in the entire room.  All the band members had been assembled and were setting up for their last, truly last, song for the evening.

There was a sense of gayness in the air that Quatre couldn't recall during the last five months, it was just something that had been missing.  It was that evening that this band, For Rel, brought back a bit of that giddiness to such a small yet significant extent.

"Our last song for the entire evening," sighed Draca handing her microphone over to Salimar, who took it hesitantly while glancing back to throw a glare at Lynn because she was over at the keyboards for the second time that evening.  Shifting her gaze Salimar looked towards Adam, all he did was nod as he fixed his microphone stand.

Bass, keyboards, and the light drums came into play for a few beats before Adam took the vocals.

"Listen baby, 

ain't no mountain high, 

ain't no valley low, 

ain't no river wide enough baby…"

"If you need me, call me, 

no matter where you are, no matter how far.  (Don't worry baby-)

Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry. 

You don't have to worry, because…" sang Salimar watching as Draca pranced around the crowd carrying a tambourine (which she didn't beat on until the chorus), grabbing a few of the representative's grandsons to get them to start dancing.

"Baby, there ain't no mountain high enough-

Ain't no valley low enough-

Ain't no river wide enough baby-

To keep me from getting to you-!" both band members sang together creating a great blend.

"Baby, remember the day, I set you free

I told you could always count on me darling

And from that day on, I made a vow

I'll be there when you want me someway, somehow," sung Adam as Salimar came up right beside him with her microphone, most likely off, and just stood leaning against him.

"Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough,

Ain't no river wide enough baby-

To keep me from getting to you-!" both sang into Adam's microphone.

"No, no darling," Adam added in.

"No wind, no rain-!

Or a winter's cold can stop me baby.

Because you are my love-!" responded Salimar poking a joking finger into her partner's chest.

"If you're ever in trouble

I'll be there on the double

Just send for me oh baby-!" Adam told her before Salimar moved away, turning on her own microphone to sing into.

"My love is alive

Deep down in my heart

Though we are miles apart."  Her hand had been extended to imitate being apart from someone.

"If you ever need a helping hand

I'll be there on the double

Just as fast as I can," assured Adam.

"Don't ya know that there…

There ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough,

Ain't no river wide enough baby."

"To keep me from getting to you," included Salimar.

"Don't ya know that there…

There ain't no mountain high enough,

Ain't no valley low enough,

Ain't no river wide enough-

There ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough-!"

The music faded and the audience burst into cheers and whistles, mainly coming from Draca jingling the tambourine as she raced up to the rest of the band.  Motioning them all to come forward the band members took hands and then bowed before their crowd, then they began to move to put their instruments away.

"That was interesting," remarked Sylvia dryly.

"Maybe to you, but to some of us that was an extraordinary thing that they just accomplished," defended Quatre not going into detail of the meaning of his words.  Instead, he felt that he would keep that as his own little secret.  "Well, let's be off Trowa so you can catch your flight in the morning."

Both of the pilots stood up, Quatre took Sylvia's hand as a sign of respect when departing with a lady.  "Good night Vice Foreign Minister Noventa, I do hope you enjoyed the evening," Quatre told her giving her dainty hand a little shake.

"I did very much, thank you Mr. Winner," she smiled.

"And Heero, good evening, and don't work too hard now, we don't need you dying on us from stress," winked the young representative.  All Heero did was grunt in response.  Veering to Trowa, Quatre motioned that they could go and so Trowa followed Quatre closely, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious until they got to Quatre's limousine.

The drive to the hotel was brief and uneventful, so was the journey through the lobby and up the stairs, Quatre never took the elevator for he was paranoid about that sort of technology.  Trowa continued to pursue Quatre even into his room where he made one last round for bombs, bugs, and anything else that could threaten his friend's safety.  When satisfied he left the room through the door connecting his and Quatre's rooms together.

Once Quatre was completely alone in his room, both doors to his room locked as well as his window, curtains drawn Quatre began to remove his clothes and head for the bathroom to take a shower before retiring for the rest of the night.

His shower started off hot but then he turned it to freezing cold and stood under it for as long as he withstand the water before turning off the water and then getting out of the shower.  Grabbing the top towel of the two towels he had laid out for himself, Quatre wrapped it around his waist and then he took the other towel to dry his hair.  While he was drying his hair Quatre heard his phone ring.

He froze for a second as his soldier instincts came into place.  Was the phone a bomb?  Was that an assassin on the other line that was letting him know that he was about to die?  All the possibilities raced through his head and every nerve in his brain told him not to pick up the phone, but he couldn't help it; he was curious.

Entering his room, Quatre glanced at his window for a shadow of some unexpected guest to be there, there was none.  Feeling uneasy Quatre reached for the phone by his bed and swallowed hard, just taking notice how dry his throat was.

"He…hello?" he asked.

"Hey, long time no hear," came a voice from the other line.

"Re…Relena…" stammered Quatre dropping the phone.


	19. The Terms

For Rel 

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  

For those who have a feeling that Relena calling indicates the ending of this fic, you are wrong.

There was no logic to this, none that Quatre could think of as he picked up the phone from the phone.  The person on the other end of the phone couldn't be his Relena, no she was gone, disappeared, without a trace.  It couldn't be her that just greeted Quatre in such a carefree manner as if they were good old friends.

"Re…Relena?" he repeated as he put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, has it really been that long since you've hear from me?" teased Relena making it sound as if it hadn't been five months since they spoke, more like five minutes ago.

"Five months is a pretty long time for not hearing from a friend," replied Quatre nervously as all the many questions he had been thinking of asking her the first opportunity he would get were all fleeting from his brain, leaving it completely blank.  His complete focus was on the fact that he was speaking with a good friend of his that had been spirited away from him so many months ago.

"Five months?" she echoed as though it had never occurred to her.  "Has it really been that long?  It hasn't felt like five months, and you still remember my voice, amazing.  I'm impressed Quatre."

_Her tone is different,_ noted Quatre as he took notice that her voice was no longer forced, exasperated, or sarcastic.  No, it was more genuine and just good natured, like she was more relaxed.  _It must be from not having all that stress on her shoulders everyday.  Also, from not having to be paranoid while her life is put into danger 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week whether she would be sleeping, eating, or just walking.  Must be nice._

"Actually no, I didn't recognize your voice, it was what you said.  Anyone else would have just said, "Hello".  You know, since they actually call once in a while," Quatre told her honestly as he sat on the bed.  His tone becoming more lighthearted as he got into a playful mood.  It felt like the worries and cares of his colony and other colonies were being relieved from his brain for a few moments so he could enjoy himself.

"Now, don't go getting your boxers all in a bunch.  I just didn't know you wanted to speak with me," assured Relena.

"Of course I would want to speak with you.  Hell, I bet you anything Hilde or Duo or even Heero would love to speak with you!" smiled Quatre.

"I doubt Heero would want to just talk with me, more like interrogate and track me," Relena stated in a tone that plainly stated that she didn't wish to speak of Heero with Quatre.

"Relena, where the he…" Quatre began to question.

"Quatre, if we are going to converse on the phone together than I request that you do not ask me where I am, why I ran away, or what I have been doing.  Okay?" requested Relena sensing what her friend wanted to ask her.  She knew that this was a lot to ask of her "partner in crime" but she didn't wish to discuss any of that with her friend.

"May I ask just one thing before I agree?" inquired the representative.  "It's not about where you are."

"I suppose," sighed Relena.

"Is Heero part of the reason that you ran away?" Quatre asked.  There was a moment of strange, unnerving silence between the two, almost to the point where Quatre thought that Relena had hung up on him.  "Relena?"

"I'm still here.  I guess in the beginning I would have said "yes, Heero's one of the reasons that I ran away", but than I would be lying.  Heero just kind of gave that first shove out the door, like helped encourage me to take that first step out the door," answered Relena.  "Does that satisfy you for now?"

"Quite," confirmed Quatre laying down upon the bed staring up at the ceiling with a slight smile forming on his lips.  _So, it wasn't really Heero that made her leave.  I was right the whole time.  Go me!_

"Moving onto some more pleasant topics of discussion.  How are you?"

"Tired, lonely, and I'm possibly on the brink of insanity," chuckled Quatre as he thought about it for a second.  The job was wearing on him.  "In fact, just yesterday I found that I had gray hair now!"  Relena burst out laughing hysterically.  "I'm serious, I actually freaked out when I saw that.  Am I truly becoming an old man?"

"Nah, you're only 19 years old, not even old enough to legally drink alcohol in the former United States of America," assured Relena between her laughs.  "Perhaps you should dye your hair blond so your gray hairs don't show up on your pictures, like this picture on "Universal Magazine".  They did a horrible job on capturing your more strict side, if you have one that is."

"Hey!"

"I'm only joking Quatre, jeez," giggled Relena.

"Relena."

"Yeah."

"I have a question for you," Quatre informed her as he thought of what Lynn told him earlier that evening.

"Shoot."

"Did Lynn tell you that I wanted to speak with you?" asked Quatre.  Another moment of silence came and went by but not for a long while.

"Yeah.  I've been trying to call her home number all night, but I didn't get an answer from her, so I tried her cell phone.  I actually didn't get to speak with her until a few moments ago.  She told me that you and her had a nice conversation about me, why I didn't know you care, and well, she told me of your desire to talk with me.  So, I decided to call you," confirmed Relena.  "Though Draca, Sage, and Salimar have also told me that Trowa, Heero, and Ms. Noventa were asking questions about me as well.  Why?"

"Heero's still looking for you, and he feels that your friends are the key to finding you," replied Quatre.  "We only helped out because we were there.  I take it, that you now know that Sylvia is Heero's girlfriend."  There was the voice of uncertainty outlining Quatre's voice.

"Actually, I've known that Heero had a girlfriend," Relena nodded her voice starting to choke.  "Actually, I think I was the first one to find out, except for maybe Hilde and Duo, they probably knew long before I did."

Quatre could sense that this was a subject that was upsetting Relena greatly.  He just didn't know if it was because Heero had a girlfriend or something else, but he assumed that it was because of Heero, her long-time, school girl crush, had a girlfriend.  Still, assumptions led to mistakes, or so he was told.

"Are you okay with this?" he cautiously inquired, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable and hang up on him.

"Course, after all, he should be happy with someone just like everyone else, even if that girl isn't me, as I know you were probably thinking, right?"  She didn't wait for an answer for she already knew it.  "It's not Ms. Noventa's and Mr. Yuy's relationship that bothers me," she stated.

_Mr. Yuy?  She's always referred to Heero by his first name,_ Quatre thought as he noted the change in reference to his comrade's mention.

"What bothers me is the fact that he didn't even mention this relationship to me.  I mean I thought he and I were friends at least, and that he would tell me such things, like friends would.  Instead he kept it secret from me and…" ranted Relena as she began to babble without realizing it.

"Made you his second priority?" offered Quatre.

"Couldn't trust me with the truth," corrected the former Vice Foreign Minister somberly.  "You weren't there Quatre, but what would happen was he would take off on the weekends, at night, to go on a date with Ms. Noventa, leaving Duo as my bodyguard, not that I'm complaining.  Still, he could have told me instead of keeping it from me!"

"It's alright Relena, calm down," urged Quatre in a soothing voice.  He understood the feelings of betrayal though he just didn't let it effect him or his actions, the kind of betrayal he felt that Relena had suffered was the worst kind; one from the inside.  Betrayals from friends were always tough to forgive and forget, possibly even harder if that person was your infatuation for the longest time.

On the other line Quatre could hear Relena breathing in slowly and breathing out even slower, she was calm now and could speak without her emotions getting the best of her again.  "I need to be going Quatre, I shall call you tomorrow perhaps," claimed Relena in a quietly voice.

"Understood, but Relena, could we possibly meet sometime?  Face to face; in person?" questioned Quatre rather hopefully, allowing his hopes to soar above the clouds and beyond.

"Maybe in the future Quatre, if you don't tell anyone about these phone calls, but for now, I want to just keep it as phone call conversations.  Okay?" approved Relena.

It wasn't a complete turndown to Quatre, in fact it brought even more hope to him.  The thought of seeing Relena sometime in the future brought a foolish grin to the young representative's face.  "That is fine by me Relena.  I won't tell anyone," promised Quatre.

"Bye Quatre," smiled Relena.

"Good night Relena," Quatre told her before hanging up.  His conclusion statement was actually meant to find out if Relena would give him some kind of clue as to where she was, but it didn't.  _She's definitely smarter than the average Vice Foreign Minister,_ commented Quatre sitting up on the bed to change into a fresh pair of boxers.

*****

Meanwhile, all the way in China Wufei and Sally were detonating the explosives in a former military warehouse when Wufei was informed that he had received an anonymous e-mail.  "What the…" he muttered debating to open the e-mail and possibly get a virus or open it and read up on something useless. 

"What is it Wufei?" asked Sally sitting back down in the jeep and about ready to go to their next target.  She was amazed that there were even Mobile Suite warehouses and factories were still operating even after the war has been done with for so long.  People needed to learn not to be so paranoid all the time.

"I have an anonymous e-mail with no subject," the Chinese teen told his partner.

"Mmmh…you better open it, it maybe an e-mail with some information on another military base storing scrapes of mobile suites," sighed Sally.  "Anyways, our computer is virus protected."

Nodding Wufei opened the e-mail, expecting the worst of the worst to appear on the screen.  Nothing extremely dangerous happened, all that appeared on the screen was a typed letter addressed to Wufei.  This surprised the Chinese preventer because he didn't have any real friends in the universe and the entire Long Clan had been killed except for himself, so he had no idea who could be e-mailing him.

**Dear Mr. Chang**

**It is to my understanding that you still have association with a Mr. Heero Yuy.  This is my reason for mailing you this letter of sorts.**

**I wish for you to negotiate with Mr. Yuy in discontinuing his search for me, Ms. Relena Darlian, for I do not wish to be found by him or anyone else on the preventer forces.  These are my wishes and I would like them to be respected.  Relay this message to Mr. Yuy if you are able to.  If you do not wish to take this task than do not send Mr. Yuy this message and we shall leave this as it is.**

**Much appreciated.**

**Relena Darlian-Peacecraft**

"From Relena?!  We need to tell Heero of this Wufei, he's still looking for her after all!" cried Sally, losing her professional composure.  _She actually wants Heero to stop looking for her?!  Was making her dreams come true truly that terrible to her?_ wondered Sally.

I'll inform him as soon as we report into Une," Wufei stated as he sat back.  "Let's get to our next target first and then set up camp."

"Agreed."  


	20. Fiancee?

**For Rel **

**Note: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. **

For one of the very rare times in his life, Heero had followed Duo's lead and came to the duplex of Relena's supposed accomplice, along with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson. They were both rather intrigued yet on the suspicious side when Heero had told them of what Duo suspected when he investigated the place a second time. To say the least, the landlord and lady were in a hurry to get this investigation done with so they could rent the floor out again.

"Are you telling us you want to tear down that wall!" Mrs. Peterson cried pointing to the wall that Heero was busy tapping to find the hollow point that Duo had told him about.

"Yeah."

"No way!" denied Mr. Peterson in a determined manner. Anyone could tell that the man projected the image of one that wasn't meant to be pushed around by anyone. "The costs _money_ to tear down _and_ to repair the damage."

_I'm very well aware of that, _Heero thought in a sarcastic manner. "Your repair fees will be handled by the preventer cooperation and creating a hole in the wall will cost you nothing since I am the one going to be doing the hole making," Heero assured them. _Should have been a salesman._

"Well, if you put it _that_ way…" began Mr. Peterson as he pretended to think about it for a second, though Heero could tell by the man's eyes that he liked the idea of him not having to pay for repairs.

"Fredrick!" yelled his wife in outrage though.

"Thank you for your cooperation," nodded Heero right before his cell phone went off in the "Entertainer" jingle, which Duo had actually downloaded onto Heero's cell phone for him. "Excuse me." The husband and wife nodded and Heero snuck out of the room into the nearest room with a door.

Closing the door, Heero answered his cell phone. "Yuy."

"Heero, she just contacted me," came Wufei's unmistakable voice on the other end of the line.

"Who, Wufei?" questioned Heero not able to think of who the preventer could be speaking of.

"Relena," sighed the Chinese man. At this the Zero pilot had to resist the urge to hit, or kick, himself for being a bit on the dense side not to figure that out on his own. "She wishes for you to stop looking for her and she wants me to the negotiator between you and her."

"Did you track the e-mail?" Part of the gundam pilot's brain was screaming at him not to sound so eager, still he couldn't help

but show a bit of emotion about hearing that Relena was still alive and obviously well. _How does she know that I'm still looking for her though?_ wondered Heero only to answer his own question. _The 'For Rel' group of course, they would know that I am still on her trail._

"It came from somewhere in New York City, really early this morning in a moving location that I couldn't hold a trace on for so long," answered Wufei.

"Hn." _She was in __New York__ at the same time I was,_ noted Heero getting the sense that he was near to finding where Relena was and possibly who she was.

"Do you agree with the terms of this woman?" inquired Wufei as his partner started shouting out questions for him to ask Heero. "Quiet woman!"

"No, I will find her on my own, no matter what it takes," replied Heero holding firm to his stubbornness and his pride of sorts.

"I will tell her," sighed Wufei about to hang up.

"Wait, give me the e-mail address and I will tell her myself. No negotiations will be taking place, either I get her back or I die trying," commanded the "Perfect Soldier".

"Very well," agreed Wufei sounding rather pleased with Heero's choice of action. "Here it is, recalled to life at rock dot com." There was no need for the Chinese pilot to ask Heero if he had written it all down because he knew that the other pilot had a superb memory just like all of the pilots. For it was part of their training.

After getting the address Heero just hung up knowing that Wufei wouldn't take offense to it since their conversation was done with for the moment. _Why would she contact Wufei instead of someone like Duo or Hilde? Those three more like friends than Relena and Wufei, even if she and Sally got along rather well. Much like half-siblings,_ Heero thought as he re-entered the room where the Petersons still were.

"Do I have your permission to tear a hole in the wall, or do I need a warrant?" Heero asked dryly.

"You have our permission," approved Mr. Peterson.

* * *

She had no idea why Heero wanted her there so badly but there she was, at her mother's mansion waiting in the tea room for her dear mother to come and greet her. Sylvia didn't have to wait long before her mother came into the room in a proper fashion, wearing a navy blue dress that had a high collar. It was just like how Sylvia had always been brought up but had never truly followed in her mother's footsteps in.

"Sylvia, I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," greeted her mother with a smile as she brushed aside a strand of gray hair that fell loose from her pinned hair.

"Not at all," assured Sylvia returning her mother's smile.

"Good. Come, sit with me," urged her mother motioning for the new Vice Foreign Minister to sit on a nearby loveseat while her mother sat across from her pouring the pot of tea into two dainty tea cups. "My normal tea company is busy practicing downstairs."

"Really? Why would they be doing that?" questioned the daughter taking her cup of tea.

"They live here," responded Mrs. Noventa.

"What!"

"I have been renting out rooms to some of the college students. It brings in enough money to pay the bills at least," shrugged Mrs. Noventa as she waited for her daughter to take the first sip of tea before drinking her own.

"What of the fortune Grandpa and Papa left you? What happened to all of that!" cried out Sylvia never knowing what her mother did with the money she had inherited. Sylvia had been investing her money in stock, putting it into a savings account for her future children, and the such.

"Oh that had been set aside for you when you went off to college. Since you never did go to a college, I have been giving it away as scholarships the local high schools and making repairs to the mansion," replied her mother emotionlessly.

"Mother…!" Sylvia was about to rant, mainly about better ways she could have put that money to use.

"Afternoon Miss Noventa!" interjected a rather familiar voice from the doorway.

"Good afternoon boys and girls," returned the mansion owner as she turned her head to the doorway.

Following her mother's gaze, Sylvia saw the one sight she had prayed that she wouldn't see for a long, _very_ long, time. The 'For Rel' group was standing there grinning like fools and just radiating gayness. The entire band was chuffed about something and they were obviously willing to show off their giddiness to anyone in their path.

"Sylvia, I would like to introduce you to…" began the mother politely.

"We all have met Mother, more than once I may add," hissed Sylvia as her voice began to ooze with spite while she glared at Draca. She had yet to forget what the girl had said to Heero just the other night.

"I see…Well, how did practice go?" inquired the mother sensing the tension that was starting to form in the air.

"It went well, Salimar almost has her song done, finally!" announced Adam as he pulled Salimar into a headlock.

"Hey, Adam, let go of me!" she screamed while the others just ignored them.

"Wonderful! You must have my daughter be the first to hear it!" clapped Mrs. Noventa.

"It's okay Mother, I have heard all of their songs," claimed Sylvia.

"Nah dudette, you heard the songs from our first CD," corrected Adam getting hit by Salimar.

"Yeah and we're almost done writing the second CD!" Lynn added in.

"Yes, it is a lovely CD and I get the first copy," Mrs. Noventa interjected.

This was horrifying Sylvia, that her own mother was making nice, even living, with the number one suspects of Relena's disappearance. She could no longer hold it in, she had to speak her mind. Standing up she accused, "Mother, how can you house these people who have information on Ms. Relena Darlain and refuse to tell neither me nor Heero!"

"Whoa Sylvia," Sage said in an attempt to calm the Vice Foreign Minister, "let's not go around making hasty accusations. Someone or some people may get hurt by them."

"Who's Heero?" Mrs. Noventa wondered out aloud but her daughter hadn't heard her, but Draca had so she approached her.

"Accusations! It's the truth Sage, and you know it!" exclaimed Sylvia as the rest of the band just watched silently, each mentally making his or her own comments.

"Her fiancée," whispered Draca to Mrs. Noventa.

"Oh," nodded the Mrs. Noventa then realized that her dear daughter was engaged. "My little girl is getting married!" Everyone else in the room veered their heads to the elder woman, each and every one of their faces held the same blank expression. "Congradulations on your engagement honey!" cheered the woman standing up and giving her daughter a hug.

"M…Mother…I'm not…" Sylvia tried to protest.

"Though I wish you had me meet this man first before going and getting engaged behind my back," continued Mrs. Noventa not hearing a word her daughter was saying.

"But I'm not…" Sylvia tried again.

"You must tell me all about me!" urged the older Noventa.

"We'll leave you two to do that," suggested Draca as she returned to the band and they began to scramble out of the room and going up to their rooms.

"Hey! Wait!" called Sylvia but to no avail.

"So what's he like? The strong but silent type? Warm as spring? Tell me…" pressured Sylvia's mother as she pulled her daughter down onto the loveseat after taking a seat on it.


	21. Heero's Coming

**For Rel**

****

****

**Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  **

**People, school has started again and I am afraid that my homework may very well disrupt my updations, like it already has.  So try to be patient, I will try to update on either Saturdays or Sundays.**

"Wufei," sighed Sally as she drove towards the next possible mobile suite factory that could be in production still.

"What?" answered the Chinese man beside her.

"Why do you think Relena e-mailed you rather than someone like Hilde or Duo, people that worked closely to Heero while with her.  I mean Relena and you had almost never met except on a few occasions and even than you two didn't converse a lot.  So why would she contact you of all people?" wondered Sally.

"Probably for the exact reason you just gave," answered Wufei as his eyes glanced around at the mirrors out of habit of being alert.  "I am not working closely with Heero nor did she and I ever converse together, so than I have no emotional attachment to tell her to come back.  You on the other hand would want her to come back since you treat her like she's your younger sister."

"She is like a younger sister," sighed Sally.  "Besides, I wouldn't force her to come back if she didn't want to."

"That's the exact opposite that Hilde would do," commented Wufei.

"You don't know that," argued the good doctor purposely making a sharp turn but it didn't phase the former gundam pilot.

"Yes, I do."

*****

It hadn't taken Heero long to slam a hole in the wall, it just took a long time to find what these Adem and Seige people-or Taye Chap-were-or was-hiding inside the wall.  He found it at the base of the wall.

It was a wooden box, hand carved and worth quite a bit by the looks of the box.  It had a lock on the front with a key attached to it.

_Whoever put this here was expecting someone to find it and open it,_ noted Heero taking the key and sticking it into the lock.  Giving the key a twist the lock opened after Heero yanked on it.  Pulling the lock off Heero lifted the lid of the box.  _Let's see just what they were hiding inside of this little thing._

There was no need for Heero to take a deep breath before opening the box, he just opened it.  Inside, under lots of built up dust, Heero made out a stack of photographs, little knick-knacks, and a few ID bracelets.  Taking out the top photograph Heero wiped away the dust to find smiling at him a younger Relena in her St. Gabriel uniform hugging a uniformed dressed Adam.  

"Adem and Adam are the same.  The Witts were brothers and so are Adam and Sage," muttered Heero.  "They helped Relena, they may know where she is exactly."  Closing the box Heero grabbed it and made way to the door.

Sylvia couldn't believe the hell that she to suffer through telling her mother all about her personal life.  It was truly horrible and was something that she never wanted to relive, also made her pray that Heero wasn't going to make an unexpected visit anytime soon.

Walking down the hallway to her father's old den Sylvia could make out the sound of music coming from the room beside the den.  Having a fairly good idea what was causing the music Sylvia was about to decide not to check on the band, until she heard a mellow-almost mystical-sounding music and it was only on the piano.  There was someone who was softly 'ohhing' before the vocals came into place.

"Kitto kitto bokutachi wa

ikiru hodo ni shitteyuku

soshite soshite bokutachi wa

ikiru hodo ni wasureteku

Hajimari ga aru mono ni wa

Itsu no hi ka owari mo aru koto

Iki toshi ikeru mono nara

Sono subete ni

Moshimo kono sekai ga shousha to haisha to no

Futatsu kiri ni wakareru nara

Aa boku wa haisha de ii

Itsu datte haisha de itai n da."  At this point Sylvia had to have a peek into the room for she noticed that there was no other instrument playing with the piano.  Opening the door while the singer still sang, Sylvia sneaked a peek inside and saw Salimar sitting at the piano while Lynn was singing the song and Adam, with Sage, sat in two seats listening intently.

"Kitto kitto bokutachi wa

Kanashii hodo ni utsukushiku

Yue ni yue ni bokutachi wa

Kanashii hodo ni kegareteku

Mamoru beki mono no tame ni

Kyou mo mata nanika o gisei ni

Iki toshi ikeru mono no tachi

Sono subete ga

Moshimo kono sekai ga shousha to haisha to no

Futatsu kiri ni wakareru nara

Aa boku wa haisha de ii

Itsu datte haisha de itai n da

Boku wa kimi ni nani o tsutaerareru darou

Konna chippoke de chisana boku de shika nai

Ima wa kore ijou hanasu no wa yametoku yo

Kotoba wa sou amari ni mo

Toki ni muryoku dakara."  Salimar finished with her eyes closed as though in her own little world.

"Whoa!" cheered Sage clapping hysterically.

"Beautiful piano piece as well," complimented Adam with a wide grin as he got up and gave a hug to Lynn, who returned the embrace, and then the man went over to the pianist and hugged her.  "This new CDs going to be great.  How's your song coming along Salimar?"

"Almost done, I just need to finish coming up with the piano part then we can try and put the entire thing together," smiled Salimar patting Adam's arm that was draped around her neck.

"May I hear what you have so far?" Sylvia inquired catching everybody off guard as she entered the room.

"No, I prefer playing any music with at least the piano part done," Salimar denied as she reclaimed her composure.  "What may we do for you Ms. Noventa?"

"Well, that song of yours had caught my attention was all," answered Sylvia about ready to leave before thinking of a question that had been plaguing her mind.  "How did you all make money to pay rent here?"

"Easy Sylvia, Adam and I ran the roller rink, Draca worked at the community center with the elderly, Lynn worked at a nursing home, and then Salimar had a job at a residential home for Alzheimer people," Sage answered off-handedly.  "When we met up at the university we came up with the idea of forming a band.  It's been working so far, we get gigs at bars and hospitals for children.  Of course we still got our normal jobs, got to pay rent and college money still."

"Oh…Interesting careers," nodded Sylvia.

"We never like to be the "normal" people," winked Adam.

"Then you beat the rest of us," joked Lynn.  All Adam did in return was stick his tongue out at the girl in a very childish manner.

"Meanie," pouted the bass player.

"Well, sorry to have disturbed you," apologized Sylvia as she left the room and closed the door.  Once out the door her cell phone rang.  "Hello?"

"Heero, why did you send me to my mother's?  There's so much trouble going on here with the 'For Rel' group living in my mother's mansion," complained Sylvia warily.  "Yeah, they live here.  Why?…Wait, why are you coming over here?  Why can't I just come to you? …Of course you can't explain right now, you never can.  …Fine, I'll pick you up from the airport tomorrow then.  Love you, bye."  Blowing a kiss through the phone, Sylvia hung up the electronic object.

"Why does he want to come here?" wondered Sylvia putting her cell phone into the back pocket of her dress pants.  A thought struck her; her mother wanted to meet Heero, Heero was coming to her mother's house without knowing that her mother was under the impression that they were engaged.  "Crap."


	22. The M and C Words

**For Rel**

****

****

**Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  **

**Thank you for being patient people.  You all have my respects. **

"I have no idea why a young girl like you would want to become a preventer when you could have been something more respectable and less dangerous, like a self-defense teacher," Representative Vladimir told Hilde as they rode to the representative's next meeting.

Remembering that the representative was old and that she had to talk to him on a generational level Hilde smiled and leaned forward a bit.  "Because I was a soldier and I think that being a preventer is just as respectable as my old job as a junk dealer," she told him.

"I see," coughed the elder man.

_I don't ever remember having to deal with these kinds of questions and comments when Relena was around.  She respected my choice in choosing a job that was something I felt I could make a difference in,_ sighed Hilde.  _Difference!  What difference have I made so far?!  None!  I haven't even been much help with finding Relena…_

"Do your people having any ideas where Ms. Dorlain could have been kidnapped to?" questioned Representative Vladimir as he eyed Hilde.

"She was not kidnapped representative, she abandoned her position for unknown reasons," corrected Hilde as she glared mildly at the older man.

"That is not what I have heard.  I have heard that she and that young preventer man, one of her bodyguards, had staged it so that they could live a life together in quiet," stated the old man.

"I can assure you that none of the preventers had any intimate relationships with the Vice Foreign Minister before or after her disappearance," hissed Hilde.

"Of course not, it would be young love after all," smirked the representative.

_If Relena was not in hiding I wouldn't be here right now,_ thought Hilde slightly bitter.

*****

Heero was picked up by taxi at the airport and taking to the Noventa residence what he saw when he arrived was not the greeting he expected.  There stood Sylvia, Mrs. Noventa, and a few servants.  Immediately Mrs. Noventa welcomed him with open arms even though it was raining and Heero was drenched compared to Mrs. Noventa's dry clothing.

"Oh it's so good to finally meet the man that has captured the heart of my daughter," cheered Mrs. Noventa as she released Heero.  "Someone take Mr. Yuy's bag and show him up to his room, please."

"Yes mum," nodded a young servant girl as she hesitantly took Heero's duffel bag, once he handed it to her that is.  Quickly she scampered into the house and up the stairs.

"Well, let us not stay out in this rainy weather.  Inside we go to warm up," suggested Mrs. Noventa leading the way inside the house.

Sylvia walked in by Heero's side with her head bent to the ground and shoulders slumped a bit.  "'Captured my daughter's heart?'  What is that supposed to mean?" questioned Heero getting a rather uncomfortable feeling about the entire situation of him being there.

"Well you see…" began Sylvia.

"We have so much to talk about," interrupted Mrs. Noventa.  "Such as when the date is, how many guests to invite, what color dresses, and tuxedos too, and where you two would like the ceremony to be held at.  Large or small, fancy or quaint and all those other minor details."

"What ceremony is she talking about?" whispered Heero becoming quite worried and praying that his girlfriend's mother was speaking of what he believed her to be speaking of.

"As I was saying before…"

"Oh and I must know your preference about children.  I would like them to be born from your own seed and my daughter's egg rather then you two adopting.  However, I don't mind if you decide to adopt later on but I would like at least one child of yours to be from your bloodline and my daughter's," continued Mrs. Noventa as she sat down in the dinning room along with Sylvia and Heero.

"Well…um…"  It was confirmed, she was speaking of what Heero dreaded most.  Marriage and commitment.  Even though Heero liked to think of himself above human emotions most of the time he still feared the "M" word and the "C" word.  Especially if they were ever used in the same sentence.

"Evening Mrs. Noventa!" greeted a male entering the room.

"Good evening Joseph, are the others coming down to eat?" inquired the house master.

"They should be down any second now," nodded the boy named Joseph.  "Hi there, I'm Joseph Bartelle."  Joseph had turned to Heero and Sylvia when he introduced himself.

"Joseph this is my daughter, Sylvia, and her _fiancée_, Heero Yuy," Mrs. Noventa told him giving the boy a wink as he took his seat to the left of Sylvia's mother.

"Wow.  I send you two my congratulations," grinned Joseph.

"No, you see…" Sylvia began to explain as she blushed.

"Joseph, what did you do with my tape?!" demanded a redhead storming into the dinning room and sitting beside Joseph.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," protested Joseph putting his hands up in front of his face to prevent any major damage he could possibly get to his face.

"I'm sure you don't.  Hi Mrs. Noventa, how are you tonight?" smiled the redhead looking at the master of the household.

"I am well thank you, Cascata, but how are you tonight, you seem to be a bit upset," observed the head of the house as she planted her napkin on her lap as the food was being presented into the room.

"I am upset because I cannot find my movie for my class that is due in three weeks and I still need to do editing to it," explained Cascata.  "Where are the others and who are they?"  She gestured with her thumb to the former gundam pilot and his girlfriend.

"Well this is…" started Mrs. Noventa.

"Sylvia, are you planning on staying here for a while?  Oh and you have Heero with you, wow," commented Sage's voice as he came skipping into the room and took a seat beside Cascata with a huge grin on his face while the other 'For Rel' members entered the room and filled up the other empty seats until there was only an empty seat between Lynn and Heero.

"My, you all are quite chuffed this evening," remarked Joseph giving a wink to Lynn who blushed but still rolled her eyes as she looked away from Joseph.  "I take it you guys got Salimar's song done tonight."

"Are we!" cheered Draca as Adam stood up and started doing a little "victory dance".

"Really, we must hear it after dinner," stated Mrs. Noventa gesturing for everyone to start eating their salads that had been placed before them.  

"Sorry I'm late," announced Salimar as she came sliding into the room and taking the only seat available to her, right next to Heero.

"We were just about to start without you dear, I knew you would not mind if we did so," explained Mrs. Noventa.

"Of course I wouldn't mind, who am I to keep others from eating their greens?" shrugged Salimar gently placing the napkin on her lap before taking notice that she was right next to Heero.  "Uh…'ello there-Heero right?-when did you turn up here?"

"He just arrived tonight," Sylvia answered for her boyfriend even though Heero felt that he could have answered the question with silence well enough.

"Everyone, may I have your attention?" Mrs. Noventa commanded, silencing the table and halting everyone in his or hers eating.  "I have an announcement to make.  I would like you all to meet my daughter, Sylvia, and her fiancée, Heero Yuy."

"Oh my God!" shrieked Cascata jumping to her feet.  "You're getting married?!  How exciting!  When's the big day?  Where do you plan on having it?  Is it going to be a big wedding or a small wedding?  Traditional or more modern?  Oh my aunt is a wedding planner…"

_Not again,_ was all that Heero could think as he ignored the questions and picked at his salad.

"Come on Cascata, leave the couple alone for now.  I'm certain that they will tell us all as soon as they are ready," assured Lynn passing a silver cup of French dressing.  "Anyone for French?"

"Yeah, pass it here," nodded Joseph.  So the chitchat and conversations began between the college students about their classes, work, and even a bit about political issues that weren't major.

"Mother, I don't recall you having the dinning table be so…talkative during a meal, ever," Sylvia whispered to her mother.

"I know, but it has just been so much more fun with these students here and each of them speaking to me, as well as each other, about their day.  Thus far it has worked out perfectly for the meals that we have together," her mother giggled.  "You and Heero should join in the conversations, they are quite animated, I can assure you of that."

"I shall take your word for it," sighed Sylvia returning her attention to her boyfriend.  "I tried to tell you of what she thought we were, I ever tried to re-explain it to her but she won't listen."

"Hn."  _This is not a good situation, now I need to get out of this and I need the advantage on my side more than Relena's,_ noted Heero.


	23. Night Discussion

**For Rel**

****

****

Note:  I** don't **own Gundam** Wing **or its** characters.  **

Thank you **people** for being so **patient** with me **you** all have **my** respect, and **I** can promise **you** all this, **I** will be **back** to regular **updates** after October **20th **that is **when** band is **over**.  Again thank **you.**

Heero laid on his and Sylvia's bed in his girlfriend's old bedroom reading over Relena's file for the millionth time, he had practically memorized the entire thing.  In the open bathroom stood Sylvia brushing her teeth, already in her night gown.

"She is your mother, make her understand that _we_ are _not_ engaged," Heero argued as he stared at the file before him.  This little argument of theirs had been going on for the last fifteen minutes.

Spitting out the toothpaste in her mouth and washing it away Sylvia put down her toothbrush and turned to her boyfriend with a semi-annoyed expression.  "I've been trying to Heero, but it hasn't been working, just like I told five minutes ago.  Her mind is set on us getting married," explained the Vice Foreign Minister.

Seeing that Heero hadn't even given her the barest of glances Sylvia went by the bed and climbed in beside her boyfriend.  "You know," she continued as she tucked herself in bed, "this marriage idea might not be such a bad thing…"  Her voice trailed as she saw Heero's grip on the file loosened then tightened.

Out of reaction Heero cast Sylvia his trademark glare.  "Do you want to get married?" he asked her, swallowing hard as his mouth went dry and brain was becoming foggy.

"I was hoping sometime in the future to get married, but if you don't want to that's fine.  I'm happy with how things are right now," Sylvia shrugged though it was plain as day in her eyes that she wanted to get married to Heero.

_How is it that I get into these situations rather than Duo?_ wondered Heero.  "Give me some time to think about it first."  Stalling, that was Heero's plan of action until he figured out what he was going to do and how to get himself out of the situation he found himself stuck in.

"Of course," agreed Sylvia turning away from Heero in silent announcement that she was going to go to sleep.  "Night."

"Night," grunted Heero as he got out of bed and set aside Relena's file, leaving it open to the first page with general information about Relena.

Leaving the bedroom Heero made his way down the stairs quietly since it was 11:57 pm at night and people were usually asleep by that time.  At the bottom of the stairs Heero headed for the kitchen, walking blindly in the dark while trying not to trip over a piece of furniture.

_Guess Ms. Noventa sends the staff home at night,_ figured Heero until he noticed a light on behind the door to the kitchen.  _Now who could that be?_

Using he skills that Doctor J had made him learn, Heero crept to the door and crouched by the door listening.  There was movement like someone was walking around in the kitchen, someone who knew his or her way around the kitchen very well for he heard the sound of the microwave buttons being pressed.

_Probably not someone that is of threat,_ decided Heero as he stood up and quietly opened the door.  What he found in the kitchen was a hyper Salimar prancing around the kitchen singing along to a song she was listening to on her CD player.  She was completely oblivious to Heero's presence for her eyes were closed as she danced, pranced, and skipped around the kitchen like a lunatic.

"Da!  Da-da-da-da!  Da.  Da.  Da-da-da-da!  Da.  Da.  Da-da-da-da! Dadada!" sang Salimar as she kicked her legs up pretending to be a can-can girl until she almost kicked Heero in the groin.  Out of reflex he covered he private area with his hands.  "Oh shi…I am so sorry, I honestly didn't know you were there!" apologized the girl in a high-pitched, squeaky voice as she took off her headphones.

Heero heard the songs of a circus theme being played.

"Hn," was all Heero said back.

The microwave went off.  "AH!" jumped Salimar.  "Bloody hell!"  Sliding over to the microwave Salimar pulled out a mug of hot water then began pouring in three spoonfuls of tea into the could, stir, and add in a lemon drop.  "Ah!  There's nothing like a cup of hot tea and lemon drop."

Heero didn't agree to the statement, he was more or less for coffee-black mind you.  Still he kept his opinion to himself as he analyzed the pianist.  She was wearing a coke-a-cola t-shirt and boxer shorts along with socks.  All over her legs were bruises, nicks, and cuts.

She had noticed his starring.  "Just shaved my legs and I have no idea how I got those bruises," she explained as she sipped her tea and sat on the counter.  "It's funny, I never used to shave my entire leg until I moved here and started wearing shorts.  Before I would just shave my shins since I always wore pants, long skirts, or pantyhose, now that I wear shorts I shave my entire leg."

The former gundam pilot didn't say a word, just stood there observing the girl that some would probably think to be crazy or slightly off balanced.

"So what has brought you down to the kitchen?  Couldn't sleep?" inquired the girl.

"No," groaned Heero as he went to the fridge and pulled out a container of milk.

"Oh, I just kind of thought that since you're getting married and all that the stress would be…"

"We're not getting married!" interrupted Heero slamming the container of milk on the counter and not sounding as cool as he had hoped he would.

"Oh," breathed Salimar looking down at the mug of tea in her hands.  "Sorry."

"For what?" demanded the pilot getting rather annoyed with the girl as he poured himself a glass of cold milk.

"For Sylvia and you not being able to work things out," answered Salimar.

"It's not my fault that she wants to get married and that her mother has it in her head that we're engaged when we never were engaged in the first place!" argued Heero feeling all he frustration filling the tone of his voice and into his actions when he slammed the refrigerator door closed.

"Whoa!  Wait a minute!" interjected Salimar.  "Sylvia wants to get married, her mom wants you two to marry, and you want what?"

The questions stomped Heero.  There were a lot of things that he wanted; find Relena, hold a great relationship with Sylvia, work to protect the peace, and try to be human.  He couldn't decide on one thing.  "I don't know."

"Let me put it to you like this than, do you want to get married?" asked the green haired girl as she adjusted her glasses.

_When did she get glasses?_ noted Heero with slight interest.  "I do not know yet!  I just want to first find Relena, easy as that," he answered drowning down the glass of milk.  "What does it matter to you?"

"Nothing really, but obviously you needed to talk to someone.  Relena was right when she said that you didn't often express your feelings openly to others," sighed Salimar taking a sip of her tea and pretending not to notice Heero's death glare burning a hole into her head.  "Then again, she always did attract people to her, it was quite interesting too."

"When did she tell you this?" Heero questioned, starting up an interrogation.

"About a month before she ran away," shrugged Salimar after having thought about it for a moment.  "Plus she also mentioned how protective you could be of her, like she was labeled as your woman in a sort of romance book-ish style.  It was cute but at least she didn't stay on the topic of you for too long, because than that would have been just too boring."

"Sounds like she told you a lot," pointed out Heero making the statement sound like it was a matter-of-fact rather than implying something.

"I'm not quite certain about that, but I do know quite a bit about how she felt," Salimar said licking the lemon-tea flavor from her lips.  "How serious is our relationship with Sylvia?  Must be pretty serious if she wants to get married.  Much like the whole 'First I get cold then hot, think I'm on fire but I'm not.  Oh what a pain I got, it must be love' sort of thing."

All Heero did was glare before answering, "Not exactly."

"There's nothing I can do, all that I want is you.  Look what I'm going through, it must be love.  That's the kind right?" continued the girl.

"No."

"I fall like a sparrow and fly like a dove.  You must be the dream I've been dreaming of.  Oh what a feeling, it must be love.  That one was it!" declared Salimar.

Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh wait, I might be thinking of Relena.  Never mind then," Salimar told the former gundam pilot.

"What exactly are you trying to get at?"  The pianist gave him a look that was a cross between amused and just stating "you must be kidding". 

"What's your eyesight?"

"Twenty-twenty in both eyes," Heero simply told her watching as she shook her head at whatever inside joke she had just made.  "What is yours?"

"My right is fifty-twenty and my left is seventy five-twenty.  In case you were wondering about my glasses, I wear contacts during the day and at night I just wear my glasses," Salimar winked knowing that the pilot had taken notice of her glasses.  "Though I like my glasses better than my contacts my glasses are just bothersome at times so I just stick with my contacts."

"Hn."  Heero was really not interested in the girl's babble.

"Why are you in search of Relena?  I mean you technically don't need her anymore since everything's all cool with the Earth and the colonies, plus you have Sylvia as your Vice Foreign Minister.  So what's the use in finding Relena?" questioned Salimar watching Heero intensely.

For a long time Heero didn't answer that dreadful question that he seemed to be asked a lot.  The question was starting to annoy him very much.

The clock on the wall ticked by as Salimar patiently sat waiting for answer while keeping her eyes on the pilot, it seemed that she wasn't going to let their conversation die anytime soon just because Heero believed that by being silent he could avoid answering any questions for a while.  "So?" she spoke up.

"It is none of your concern," Heero stated though he knew that it wasn't the appropriate thing to say in his position. 

"Of course not, who am I but Relena's friend, I know nothing!" snorted Salimar jumping off the counter and putting her empty mug into the sink to be washed.  "Perhaps you should discontinue this little search for her until you find out why you're so desperate to find her."

"I'm not desperate," defended Heero.

"I'm sure you're not you just get that nagging fact, that she got away, out of your mind even when you're with Sylvia it's Relena who's secretly on your mind all the time.  You barely sleep, you only eat when told to or reminded, you forget about all your other jobs until you find a major lead to Relena," mumbled Salimar.  "Am I right?"

Heero's eyes were hard as he told her, "No, she is not an obsession of mine.  I can operate without knowing where or who Relena is with."  It was a bit of a lie and mostly denial on Heero's part, but he was trained to be good at lying in the face of danger, and right now he felt he was in danger of having his every thought and emotion spilling out.

"If you say so," shrugged Salimar as she brushed past Heero.  "You know what, you don't really deserve Relena, at least not her love."

There was no reply or reaction.

"Good luck with Sylvia," Salimar wished him before leaving him to his own devices.

_So it was true, Relena thought she was in love with me,_ realized Heero as he put his glass into the sink and then headed back up to his and Sylvia's room.

In the room he found his girlfriend sound asleep on her old bed.  Deciding not to go to bed Heero went over to the desk beside the bed and opened up his laptop that laid upon the desk.  Opening his e-mail Heero found that he had gotten a reply to the e-mail that he had sent Relena about his refusal to stop looking for her.

Dear Heero 

**Since you insist on the search I will not stop you then, but beware that you have other priories as well, such as Sylvia.  How is she by the way?  Still trying to kill you by perchance?**

**I do have one question for you Heero, if you do not mind my asking, did you ever once have any emotion towards me like the ones you have for Sylvia?**

**Wish you luck**

**Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft**

Reading through the e-mail several times Heero leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling.  Everyone seemed to be against him.

Note to **Jasline**:  You should **know** when Heero **and** Sylvia met, **episode** 14: The **Order** to Destroy **Zero** One.  Yeah, **that** was when **he** gave Sylvia **the** chance to **kill** him for **killing **General Noventa.


	24. Twin Questioning

**For Rel**

****

****

Note:  I** don't **own Gundam** Wing **or its** characters.  **

Waiting in the shuttle for his shuttle to the L-3 to join with Catherine and the rest of the circus crew Trowa reflected upon his last few days with Quatre.  He didn't know why exactly but lately Quatre had been acting rather giddy, smiling like a fool, daydreaming during conferences, and just plain old spacing out.

It wasn't like Quatre really, it was more or less like Quatre when Relena had been around him…

That girl, Salimar, her words just made him think, what it would have been like to ever try to actually talk with Relena before she had ran off.  She was always a fairly reasonable person when she wasn't stuck in her idealistic world, which he believed had shattered sometime during her time as Vice Foreign Minister.

As Trowa thought he actually realized that he held himself back from attempting to be on good terms with Relena because he was envious of her fortune, impossible as it seems.  He was jealous that he held a part of Quatre that he could never touch and was a bit green that she had a past, memories of who she was.  Yet, somehow he felt he could relate to her.

_I wonder if she took off to find herself, find the person who she could or wants to be,_ thought Trowa as he stood up after hearing his shuttle being called for boarding.  _Whatever she is in search of I hope she finds it well._

*****

It was strange that the brothers were having this sort of meeting without the girls but it didn't concern them so much as it just concerned them.  It was morning and Adam was slowly getting dressed into black waders and a white beater while Sage just sat, legs crossed, on his bed watching.

"I take it Jack has already told you," Sage spoke up seriously.

"As soon as he found out.  So he found the damn photos, that's what Relena wanted though," shrugged Adam as though it were no concern of his.

"It's not over until the fat lady sings," sighed Sage as a grin took hold of his features.  They were both too stubborn to give into anything that would go against a friend.

"And I don't see any fat lady around," grinned Adam checking himself out in the mirror.  "Do you think he even knows Relena's full name or any other relative's names for that matter?"

To this Sage snorted, "No, if he did he wouldn't be here looking for her now would he?"  It was stupid and yet the easiest name that Relena gave herself.  "If anything I just think he is a bit on the blind side of things."

"Perhaps…" nodded Adam as he heard, from the downstairs, singing.  "Sounds like the girls are practicing again."

"They have been at it for the last two hours, since five this morning," added Sage as he shook his head.  "Those three are so determined to get this into an actual CD."

"Well, let's go join them," suggested Adam as he grabbed a black satin jacket.

How could he have overslept?  He, the perfect soldier, soldier boy-as Relena had so "cutely" named him as, slept in late?  Something in that sentence didn't make sense to him as he turned his head and read the clock once again to be certain of the time, even though he already judged it by the amount of sunlight in the room.

"Seven, who sleeps in until seven?" Heero muttered to himself as he stood up from the chair he had slept on and saw that the bed was empty.  His eyes narrowed at the mere thought of the conversation he had the other night with Sylvia.

Deciding it best to ignore the whole incident Heero picked up his bag and opened it, pulling out the box full of photos.  Placing the box on the bed he began rummaging through it, pulling out all the photos, ID bracelets, and tiny objects that must have meant something to Relena.

Looking through the little objects Heero observed a key chain of Rosemont, Illinois a place which he knew that Relena had never been to during her time as Vice Foreign Minister.  There was a small action figure of Robin Hood, a small quote book, a treble clef necklace, and a drama club pin.

The ID bracelets Heero didn't even bother with for he already knew that they would be one for each friend.  Instead he went straight for all the photographs.  They were very happy photos often with three or more of the six clique members usually between Relena, Adam, and Sage.  Though there was one picture between just Adam and Relena sharing a swing together and staring intensely at each other.

He didn't really know why but when Heero saw that picture it just mad him turn green, not with disgust but with some emotion that he couldn't quite place.  Though he had experienced more emotions from the time he met Relena than what a normal person would learn in a lifetime, but he had yet to learn of this emotion or how to handle it.

Resisting the urge to tear up the photo, Heero decided to go seek out Adam and Sage to have a "talk" with them, more like pump them for information.

The moment he got out the door he ran right into the two he was looking for.

"Morning Heero," greeted Adam with a devilish grin.

"We know you would like to interrogate us about Relena, so let's just get it over with.  What would you like to know?" Sage demanded not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Hn," nodded Heero opening the door more as to allow both men access into the room.

They made themselves cozy, Adam on the bed bouncing up and down, and Sage in the chair that Heero had previously occupied.

"Oh…lookie here Sage here's one of me, you, and Draca," grinned Adam as he went through the pictures that were set on the bed.  "And here's one of me and Lena!  Don't we look so cute?!"

"Where is Relena?" demanded Heero leaning against the closed door with a hand behind his back in case he would feel the need to reach for his gun and have his questions answered in a rather uncivilized fashion.

"You don't like to beat around the bush, do you?" Adam pouted.  "Well, I don't know and I was the one that had helped her escape, Sage did nothing but sit back home and worry his little head off."

"Hey!"

"Where was the last place you saw her?" Heero inquired though he didn't believe all of that Adam had just told him.

"Shuttle port.  That's where she wanted to be dropped off at, before she left the car she gave the box and told me to hide it somewhere for you to find," he shrugged as he looked down at his filthy nails.  "Aw man, I need to clean these puppies."

"We had checked every space port and airport in England, none of them had any record of Relena leaving England," stated Heero.

"False name.  Come on, you of all people should know about false names.  Plus with the Preventers' technology and just simple technology today it's easy to make a fake passport, drivers' license-even though Relena never got hers since she was too busy being Vice Foreign Minister-, fake birth certificate, and a fake social security card," explained Sage.  "Even someone like Relena is able to make such things."

Heero was about to respond to that when there was a knock on the door, causing Heero to step away from it, and then Draca entered the room carrying a tray with breakfast foods and orange juice on it.  Her eyes widen at the sight of Heero awake and then they narrowed when she saw Adam and Sage there.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked keeping her eyes on the twins.

"No, we're done here," answered Sage as he got up and dragged Adam off the bed, away from the box items.  "Come on Adam…"

"Dude, come on I can walk!  I got legs like you, so I can walk on them just like you!" complained Adam as he was dragged down the hallway.

Once alone with Heero, Draca set down the tray of food on Sylvia's dresser.  "Your girlfriend thought that you may want something to eat," muttered Draca noticing the items on the bed.  "I guess I'll leave you to figure out Relena's game."  Draca was about to leave but Heero grabbed her by her shoulder.

"Game?"  

"Don't tell me you never knew, Relena loves to play games.  You see she never got the chance to play games like tag, duck-duck goose, or even ring around the rosy as a child since she didn't have any friends as a young child," Draca told him as she brushed his hand away.  "Don't ever touch me again.  Now good day!"

This time Draca got out of the room before Heero could even grab hold of her again.

_This is all a game, is it?  A game of elimination and a game of cat and mouse,_ observed Heero as a smile tugged at the ends of his lips.


	25. Meeting

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  Plus I don't own the song that I used in this chapter (or in other chapter for that matter).  

Lyrics again.  Sorry!

He felt like singing, he felt like breaking out into a tap dance number, anything just to show how ecstatic he was.  At last, after five months, he was going to see Relena.  He, Quatre Raberba Winner, was going to get to see Relena face to face, in person.  He doubted that even Heero would be so fortunate.

_Why would she want to meet me at an amusement park in Illinois?  Is it because it's public?  Or to keep me from finding out where exactly she lives?_ Quatre wondered as he sat almost naked-save for the towel around his shoulders and the one around his waist-in his room after just speaking with Relena.

Mentally he replayed their conversation.

_"Hey Quatre, would you like to meet me?" she asked him out of the blue and had caused Quatre to almost drop the phone._

_"Wha…What?  Meet you?  As in person?" he stuttered._

_"Yeah silly," she giggled._

_"Of course, as I'm sure Lynn told you I wanted to meet with you," he told her._

_"She most certainly did, and she made me promise that I would meet with you.  So, when's your next free day?" Relena inquired, she knew how hectic things could be in politics.  Everyday being filled with something for weeks on end._

_"Actually I have a free day in two days," he told her thinking about canceling his appointment with dentist.  Who needs the dentist anyway?_

_"Great, meet me at Six Flags in Illinois, by the carousel," she told him.  "See you Quatre."  With that she blew him a kiss then hung up, bring Quatre to his present state of being._

"Whoa-WHOOOO!" he whooped as he leapt to his feet and began to prance and skip around the room.  "I get to see her," he sang as he slid to his closet to pick out his clothes still grooving his body to his own little beat.

Meanwhile, back in Italy Heero went down the stairs of the Noventa house dressed in a light blue shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and blue jeans.  He was "off duty" if you could call it that, in truth he was just dressing down so he would always appear to be on the job.  Basically he was attempting a psychological experiment on Relena's friends.

In theory, they have not been very truthful to him because of him seeming to be "on the job" all the time, so if he appeared to be off the job then maybe they would open up a bit more.  Of course that would be their downfall.

Entering the dinning room he found that no one was there.  _Strange,_ he thought as he just stood listening for any sounds.  There were voices coming from the kitchen, so he followed but stayed outside the door, much like what he did the night before.

"Let's try it again," Heero heard Draca's voice exclaim.

"Okay, from the top," agreed Sage.

"Moshimo ima subete ga umaku nante ikanai

Makesou ni naru toki datte

Hitomi wo tojireba kokoro kara

Sekai ga miete kuru," sang Draca's voice gently as Heero entered the kitchen quietly, not even noticed by those present. 

"In this world when life can be so tough

You must be strong

Just believe in yourself and don't you fear

So open up your mind and close your eyes

Take another look from the other side," Salimar sang as she washed the dishes, and Lynn echoed the last four words.

"Kodoku na yoru demo mayoi osoreru toki mo

Ima wa hitori demo kono ashi de doko made mo

_Aruite ikeru hazu dakara," Draca returned to her singing.  Then they all paused for a moment, which Heero assumed was some instrumental line._

"Just hold on tight hitomi tojita nara

Look inside yourself kagayaki ga aru kara

Yes, subete shinjite hoshii

_You can take another look from the other side_

"Just hold on tight kokoro kujikete mo

Reach into your soul ashita ga mienakute mo

Yes, ikiru tsuyosa ga areba

You can take another look from the other side," all three girls sang together.

_"Ai no subete ni deau made...," Draca sang as a solo from the chorus. _

"Kono sekai de ikinuite-iku tame no tsuyosa wo

Anata ni negatte-iru kara

Kokoro no tobira wo hiraitara 

_Nanika ga miete kuru," Lynn sang  softly._

"Just remember you are not alone

So don't you fear

Even though you're miles away

I'm by your side

So open up your mind and close your eyes

I'll be there for you no matter where you are," Salimar's voice rang out. 

"Hoshi no inochi nara nagai kedo itsu made mo

Onaji kono hibi ga kurikaesu wake ja nai

_Ashita wa dare ni mo mienai," Lynn sang then paused again, meaning to Heero that they were going to sing the chorus again._

"Just hold on tight hitomi tojita nara

Look inside yourself kodou kanjiru kara

Yes, "MIRAI" shinjite hoshii

_You can take another look from the other side_

"Just hold on tight kokoro kujikete mo

Reach into your soul ashita ga mienakute mo

Yes, chigau sekai ga atte

You can take another look from the other side."

_"Ai no subete ni deaeru ya..." sang Lynn.   There was a longer pause which almost made Heero believe that they were done singing except for the fact that Lynn was pulling off a solo on the air guitar._

"Just hold on tight hitomi tojita nara 

Look inside yourself kodou kanjiru kara

Yes, "MIRAI" shinjite hoshii

_You can take another look from the other side_

"Just hold on tight kokoro kujikete mo

Reach into your soul ashita ga mienakute mo

Yes, chigau sekai ga atte

You can take another look from the other side," the girls sang one last time together.

"Ai no subete ni deau made..." Salimar sang her first Japanese solo.

_"Wonderfully done girls!" applauded Mrs. Noventa who had been sitting at the kitchen tables listening to the band intently.  Beside her was Sylvia, saying nothing but softly clapping though she clearly did not enjoy the show._

With a big grin on his face as he dried the dishes, Adam began to sing in a jazz style format, which soon had Salimar and Lynn joining.  

"Zappa-da zoopa-do zappa-da zappa-do-wee-ya," the trio sang in the form of question and answer, Adam questioning and the girls answering.

At that moment though, a phone rang off the hook somewhere within the kitchen stopping the singing.  Sage answered it and then he quickly pulled the phone away from his ear for everyone to hear someone yelling on the other line.

"Um…uh…Heero, I think it's for you," Sage told the ex-pilot as he hurriedly handed the cordless phone to Heero.

Deciding to take the conversation with the person on the other line elsewhere Heero exited out of the kitchen, after sending Sage his trademark death glare.  

"Yuy," he told the person on the other line getting the ominous feeling that whoever this person was, it was not good news.

"Yuy," shit, it was Lady Une, "what the hell are you doing in Italy?!  You are supposed to be with Representative Allen from colony L-2G31SP as his bodyguard, but instead I was forced to send Brian in your stead!"

"Why Brian?  He is more of a computer genius then a bodyguard," Heero inquired thinking of the only Brian that worked for the Preventers.

"He was the only one available and that I could get a hold of.  Besides, I trust him to handle Representative Allen considering the fact that Representative Allen is least likely to ever be assassinated," explained Lady Une sounding rather irritated.  "Now why are you in Italy?"

"I have an excellent lead on where to find Relena," replied Heero.

He heard Lady Une sigh in frustration.  "We have been through this Heero, you are to look for her on your own time not while you are working!"

"I have a hunch on where she might be," he assured his boss.

"I don't give a damn, Yuy.  Now, I would rather not continue this conversation on the phone.  Get your ass on the first flight out of Italy and get over here!  That is an order, not a request," Lady Une commanded him before hanging up on him.

"Sounds like you got the third degree from your boss," Sylvia's commented from behind Heero.

"Hn.  I must leave for Japan," Heero simply told her as he tossed his girlfriend the phone and headed up to their room.

"Why Heero?  What's wrong?!" cried Sylvia following him as far as to the staircase then stopping.  She obviously wasn't going to get a response from him.

*****

Meanwhile, at a shuttle port in Japan a tall man with oddly lengthy blond hair got off the shuttle he had traveled from Mars to Earth on.  Greeting him were Lady Une, Duo, and another agent.  None were surprised when he got off the shuttle, save for the unnamed agent, but Lady Une and Duo knew exactly who he was and why he was there.

"I'm here now, so what do you have for me?" the man demanded getting straight to the point with no hugs or hand shakes for greetings.

"Come on Zeches, you can't spare Une or myself a hand shake or a "Hi, how are you doing"?" Duo grinned but then got nudged in the chest by Lady Une's elbow.

"Any leads that we now have on her are with Heero, hopefully he will be arriving at my office in a matter of hours," answered Lady Une escorting Zeches to a bulletproof Preventer vehicle.

"We, as in myself and the other pilots, did find a group of Relena's friends.  Heero, Hilde, and I have been investigating them before we were instructed otherwise," added Duo climbing into the front seat of the vehicle.

"Who are these "friends"?" questioned Zeches.

"There is Adam and Sage Cole, twin brothers mind you, then there was Draca Ison, Lynn Voc, and Salimar Reigns," reported Duo as he tried to recall their last names to go with their first names.

"Very interesting…" sighed Zeches.

"Do you have any idea who those people are?" asked Lady Une.

"I have a hunch," shrugged Zeches.

"So does Heero, we must see how they compare," stated Lady Une.


	26. Relena

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  I don't own any of the rides, or Six Flags, that are mentioned in this or in any other chapter.

Okay, did he have this right?  She did say Six Flags in Illinois right?  By the carousel she would meet him right?  So where in all those instructions was 'by the way you won't find me there'?  Quatre had no idea but he was getting impatient with just waiting for Relena to arrive, and he had only been there for five minutes though it felt like five years.

"Where could she be?" he wondered out loud as he straightened his navy blue vest and red t-shirt.  Out of nowhere he felt two hands cover his eyes, keeping him from seeing anything.

"Guess who?" whispered a taunting voice in his ear.

"R…Relena?" he muttered as a smile spread across his features.  The hands uncovered his eyes and Quatre turned around to a see a changed Relena.  _Wow,_ was his first and only thought as Quatre took in Relena's pin-up stripped pants, white tank top, black tie, and black suspenders.

"You're no fun, you didn't even guess anyone else's name," pouted Relena.

_Uh?  Did she say something?_ Quatre questioned being brought out of his trance.

"Oh well, I'm glad you could come.  Especially since I know it probably took you forever to convince your bodyguards to let you come alone," smiled Relena.

"Yeah, a four and a half hour long debate, but I finally talked them into letting me come," shrugged Quatre cheerfully but then his mood switched to one of relief.  "It's good to see you again, Relena."  The former gundam pilot approached the girl, ready to give her hug.

Relena met him half way and there they stood embracing one another.  "I've missed you too, Quatre," she murmured into his shoulder as it suddenly dawned on her that he had grown a few inches compared to what she remembered of him.  "You've grown a bit, haven't you?"

"A few inches," chuckled Quatre releasing his hold on Relena.  "Well, what would you like to do first?"

He watched as Relena put a finger to her chin as though in thought, and that was when he saw that she had cut her hair to shoulder length again.  This time it was cut on an angle so that the front strands of hair were longer then the back.

"Well, since we're already by the carousel let's go on this one first," she grinned grabbing Quatre's hand and dragging him into the line for the upper level of the carousel.

It didn't take long before they were sitting on two large horses on the upper level.  Quatre was mounted on a white horse with false ruby gems while Relena was on a brown horse with false emerald studs.

"Aren't we a little old for these kind of things?" Quatre inquired feeling a bit stupid for riding on a carousel when he was nearly 20 years old.

"At heart I'm not, but if you want we can get off," offered Relena ready to dismount.

"No!  No, it's fine.  I just haven't been on one of these in such a long time," stated Quatre deciding to let Relena enjoy the ride even though he felt embarrassed by it.

The ride began to spin.

"Really?  How long ago was it?" asked Relena as she went up and Quatre went down.

"It has been nearly 10 years since I last rode on one of these," snorted Quatre noticing the children in front of him wave below to their parents.  _That was father and I at one point, but that had all changed,_ he thought sadly.

"Are you okay there, Quatre?" called Relena in a voice of concern.

Shaking away his thoughts the representative nodded.  "Of course, so when was your last time on one of these?"

Relena blushed slightly.  "Actually this is my first time," she answered.

Quatre's jaw dropped.  What child had not been on a carousel before?  Was that even possible?

"Father was often busy or elsewhere in the colonies or Earth, mother was not interested in carnivals plus she had back problems, and then Pagan has a history of a heart attack so he was not fit for the rides.  So, instead of deciding to be a burden-as I thought of it as-I just choked up my tears and never went to any carnivals," explained Relena.

"Wow," was all Quatre said as the ride stopped.

"Oh well, at least now I get to have all these new experiences with one of my friends," the girl just said off-handedly as Quatre helped her off.

"But you wish Heero was here instead of myself," pointed out Quatre, afterwards wanting to kick himself in the butt for that.  There was a noticeable tensing of her muscles and a glint of hurt in her eyes that quickly passed.

"Heero, gets to have all these experiences with Vice Foreign Minister Sylvia Noventa.  If I remember correctly, they are still an item," claimed Relena grapping Quatre's hand.  "Besides, you are the one that wanted to see me even if it meant having to let me go again, and for that I am grateful for."

Quatre's heart almost soared.  Almost, that is.

"Come on, you choose a ride," Relena suggested as she led the way off the carousel, down the stairs, and back into the crowds.

In the crowds, Quatre pulled out his map of the amusement park and began scanning it for a nearby ride that they could go on together.  "How about the Fun Machine?" he suggested having no clue what it was.

"Sounds good to me," nodded Relena letting Quatre lead the way to the ride.

They went underneath a bridge and went through a mist of water before they found the ride and got into line.  It was a relatively short line but they weren't going to be getting on the next time around.

"So what have you been doing the last five months?" asked Quatre, afterwards he wanted to kick himself, again, for that.  _She's going to think that I am trying to pry into where she has been all this time._

"Well, I have been going to college, working, and generally having a good time while enjoying every minute of my freedom," Relena told him.  "It's okay to ask me that Quatre, I just won't go into too many details, but don't ask where I have been."

Relief washed over Quatre as he let out a sigh.

"I see that you cut your hair," he stated, brushing a hand over her hair.

"Yeah, I wanted a change to go with my change of life.  What do you think of the outfit?  A bit radical?" she inquired spinning around for her companion.

"It is a bit radical compared to what you used to wear, but it suits you," complimented the representative.  "What do you want to do after college?"

"Well, as a child I did want to be a doctor, then in fifth grade I wanted to be teacher, in seventh grade I wanted to be an archaeologist, and then in ninth grade, the last year I was in school, I wanted to be a trainer for horses.  Now, I'm finding a passion for music, business, and literature, so I don't know," shrugged Relena moving with the line until the gate closed in front of her.

"You are lucky to have had such goals," commented Quatre.

"Aw, come on Quatre you have a goal too, to keep wars away from the colonies," Relena reassured.

"And you had the goal of putting a stop to all wars between Earth and the colonies, which you succeeded at," he pointed out.

"That I didn't, that was all you gundam pilots, you put a stop to the war all I had been doing is keep any more wars from happening.  Of course that led to almost all representatives looking to me for counsel, it was like they could not make a decision without me," corrected Relena as the ride had come to a stop and the operator opened the gate.

"Come on," urged Relena running to a nearby car and then climbed inside, followed by Quatre who pulled down the bar and locked it.

"I guess this is a first for both of us," remarked Quatre.

"That'll make this even more fun then," smirked Relena as the operator checked their car and then went back over to his control panel.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the fun machine, please keep your arms and legs inside the cars at all times and secure any personal items.  Enjoy the ride," announced the operator as three honks were heard and then hissing from the center piece of the machine.

They spun clockwise slower for a bit as the three divisions of cars also were rotating.  Soon the speed grew and Relena was slipping towards Quatre, until finally she slammed into him.

"Sorry," she apologized trying to move back over to her spot but the gravitational pull kept bringing her back to Quatre.

"May as well stay here with me," grinned Quatre.  _Glad that I chose this ride,_ he thought.

*****

Quatre was tired by the end of the day when he and Relena got back to the carousel, both shivering since they had just gone on a water ride, Roaring Rapids, and the temperature had dropped a bit.

_Why the hell did this day have to pass by so fast?_ wondered Quatre.  The day had been quite eventful with the rides, the lunch and dinner conversations, and Relena's spontaneous singing and dancing.

"Thanks for such a great day Quatre, but I am afraid that it is time we part," spoke up Relena.

"Yeah," nodded Quatre pulling Relena into a hug for one last time, if they were ever going to meet again that is.  "You will call me again, won't you?"

"Of course I will," giggled Relena pulling out of the embrace.  "I will definitively be giving you a call soon.  Maybe we'll do this again sometime."

"I would like that," Quatre grinned widely.  "You take care, Lena."

"You too, Quatre, you too," responded Relena giving him a kiss on the cheek before going off towards the exit.

"Relena," Quatre called causing her to turn to him with a smile, "Heero really doesn't deserve Sylvia but he doesn't deserve you either!"

Relena's smile grew.  "Thanks Quatre, I'll keep that in mind."  With that she disappeared among the many people leaving the amusement park.

"Well, Quatre, you got to see her and you let her go, just like you said," he muttered to himself as he sat down on a bench pulling out the picture of him and Relena that he had bought when they had gone on the rebuilt, still wooden, American Eagle roller coaster.

_I should have known that he would be here too,_ Heero thought bitterly when he first saw Zeches sitting in Lady Une's office.  "What is _he_ doing here?" demanded Heero.

"Relena is my sister, of course I am going to be here," Zeches answered for Lady Une as he glared at Heero.  The two could-would-never see eye to eye, only when it came to Relena did they set aside their own feelings to work together.

"Zeches has a hunch of who Relena might be out of those three girls," added Lady Une.

"Duo told you about them," Heero acknowledged not even needing his superior or Relena's brother to confirm it for him.  "I have my own hunch."

"So let's compare.  Who do you believe it to be?" challenged Zeches.

"It is Lynn, to my belief," Heero replied coolly.  "Who do you suspect it is?"

Zeches smirked.


	27. Found Out

For Rel

**Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters.  **

**Well dudes, dudettes, boys, girls, and germs, it is time for the unveiling.  Relena Darlian Peacecraft is…read to find out.**

He couldn't believe it was _her_.  _Her_ of all the girls.  Zeches had proven his point by stating that he _believed_ it to be Relena's middle name.

_There's only one way to be completely certain, without computer technology,_ Heero thought as he raced up the steps of the Darlian home.

Ringing the door bell, Heero was greeted by a young servant girl.

"I'm here to talk with Mrs. Darlian about Relena," Heero stated bluntly.

The servant looked as though she was about to slam the door in his face but a voice stopped her from doing so.

"It is all well Nina, you may let him in," Mrs. Darlian instructed as she stood at the foot of a staircase behind the servant girl.

Without a word the girl opened the door more to allow Heero access.  Heero just stepped inside and followed Mrs. Darlian into the parlor room.

"I apologize for Nina, many reporters and newscasters have been coming by for months for interviews, and I had instructed my staff to turn them away.  Relena is a rather painful topic to talk about," apologized Mrs. Darlian taking a seat.  "Please sit."

"I prefer to stand," Heero declined noting that Mrs. Darlian's attire was completely black.  _She still mourns the lost of her husband._

"Who are you, young man?  What do you wish to know about Relena?."

"I am Preventer Heero Yuy, I am in search of your daughter," answered the former gundam pilot automatically.

"I have no idea where she may be," frowned Mrs. Darlian.

"I require no such information, I just need you to answer some questions that I have," assured Heero already two steps ahead of Relena's adopted mother.

"Certainly," agreed Mrs. Darlian eagerly.

"How much do you know of her friends?"

Mrs. Darlian gave him a queer look.  _What a strange question,_ she thought to herself.  "A bit, but it all depends on when or if I ever met them," Mrs. Darlian shrugged as she sat back.  "Do you think she is hiding with her friends?"

"Yes," confirmed Heero pulling out a stack of photographs.  "Do you know any of these five?"  On the table in front of Mrs. Darlian, Heero set out a set of five pictures out, each on of each of the 'For Rel' members.

"Aw yes, I recognize Adam and Sage, such sweet boys.  And this girl I recall a bit," smiled Mrs. Darlian in fond memory as she pointed at Draca's picture.  "And…her!"

Looking at the pictures Heero nodded, "Thank you."  With that he gathered up the pictures and stuffed them into his inside pocket.

"I hope it helped you."

"It most certainly did," stated Heero as he was about to leave.  "One last question, what is Relena's middle name?"

"Everything's ready for you," assured Adam as he spoke on the vid-phone.

"Thank you, is she going to be there to pick me up?" Relena asked through the static.

"Yeah she'll be there to pick you up and drop you off at the train station," nodded Adam with his "Adam grin" on his face.

"Relena, you don't _have_ to do _this_!  Come on, you could talk to Heero and the others and convince them to at least let you finish the semester of college," Sage interjected.

Relena just shook her head.  "No, he wouldn't understand my desire to go to school.  Besides, this new college I'm going to Jo-Jo set me up, plus my record at college will be deleted as though I never existed."

"Okay," Sage sighed defeated.

Draca elbowed the boys out of her way and got as close as she could the vid-screen.  "Hey girl, I really going to miss you."

"I'll be missing you too, all of you.  Perhaps we should do lunch sometime," suggested Relena with a hopeful smile.

"Do lunch?  Sure, I can just hop on a plane and be right over, right?" Draca joked sarcastically.

"Smart mouth," Relena commented.

"I know I'm a smart mouth, but seriously how would we do lunch?" inquired Draca.

"We could set up a monthly day when we all do lunch together, the entire, entire group," proposed Relena.  "How does that sound to you all?"

Draca looked back at the boys with a pleading expression.  "It's cool with us," Adam answered, standing beside Draca so he was Relena's sight and then Sage joined them.

In the background the trio could hear a plane flight being called.  "That's my flight.  I have to go guys.  I love you guys," Relena told them.

"Before you go Relena we just want to say," Adam began as he glanced at Draca and Sage.

All at once they took a deep breath and began singing, "Show me the way to go home, I'm tired and wanna go to bed.  I had a little drink about an hour ago, and it went right to my head.  No matter where I roam. O'r land or sea or foam, you'll always hear me singin' this song.  Show me the way to go home."

Laughter filled the feed and Relena wiped a tear from her eye.  "Okay guys, I seriously have to go.  Bye," waved Relena.

"We love you, girl!" Draca yelled before the feed was cut.

"Damn it all to hell!" growled Adam as he threw the vid-phone onto the floor.

*****

It was in the ID bracelets, according to Mrs. Darlian, all this time and only now did he realize that he didn't have them.  Flipping open his cell phone Heero dialed Sylvia's cell phone number as quickly as he could while running to the airport.

One ring.  Two rings.  Three rings.  Sylvia!

"Sylvia, are all the 'For Rel' girls there?" he asked urgently.  "When they get back keep them all there until I get there. …I do know who Relena is.  Zeches was right, Relena and Salimar are one and the same person.  Relena Salimar Peacecraft."


	28. Game Over?

For Rel

Note:  I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Okay people, sorry about the delay (my computer had a virus, all fixed now), here's another chapter you have all been waiting for, the Final Chapter.  Now, I couldn't decide how to really end this story, so I came up with two possible endings, you guys vote which ending you like best.  Okay?  Let's get this show on the road!

His plane had landed about 45 minutes ago and now he was just a mere five minutes away from the Noventa residence.  All his work and all that time put into finding Relena seemed to have been paying off right then for Heero.  It felt like everything was finally coming together, everything he has ever wanted in the past five months, now nearing six, had just fallen into his hands.  He felt like he was on top of the world!

There it was.  There was the Noventa residence; he was finally there.  

_It is time to meet Ms. Relena Salimar Peacecraft, face to face, after so long,_ Heero thought to himself as he felt the sides of his mouth twitch upwards.  It felt odd but Heero could feel his unused facial muscles move to form a tiny smile.

The Preventer jeep pulled in front of the gate, where it was to be parked as to Heero's instructions.  Giving a quick glance at Duo and Hilde, Heero then got out of the jeep and exhaled the breath that he had been holding since…he didn't know how long but now he was breathing again.  This time though his breathing had sped up as he went through the gate and up to the door.

Sylvia opened the door when Heero approached it and threw her arms around him.  He wasn't expecting this!

"Heero, are you sure that Salimar is Relena, I mean what if you're wrong?" asked Sylvia.

_What?  No "oh my God, I'm glad you're here", or "I'm so glad to see you"?_ Heero briefly wondered bitterly but then brushed them aside.  "I am positive, now where is she?!"

Not waiting for an answer Heero brushed past Sylvia and went straight into the house, heading into the parlor room first.  It was empty.  So he tried the "music room", and there was nothing, save for the unattended instruments.  His next place was her room, but as he was dashing up the stairs, skipping every other step, Sylvia's voice stopped him.

"She's not in her room," she told him as she watched, leaning against the closed door with her arms crossed.

"Where is she then?" demanded Heero.

"She's not here," murmured Sylvia.

Slowly Heero descended from the staircase and stood in front of his girlfriend.  "What did you say?" he breathed, feeling the familiar sensation of defeat washing over him.

"She's not here, neither is Lynn.  Salimar, Relena, had taken a trip to the United States to visit a friend; she was on her way back when you called.  Lynn had gone to pick her up well over an hour ago.  You must have missed her by 15 or 20 minutes," Sylvia repeated, this time louder as she looked straight into Heero's intense eyes.

Heero said nothing but stared at his girlfriend.  The key to his soul was his eyes and Sylvia, for the millionth time saw an emotion in there that she longed to see for her, but she knew better.

"Heero," she began as she looked towards the ground off to the side, "if this is how things are going to be like for the rest of our lives then I suggest we end this right here and now."

"What do you mean?" questioned Heero becoming a bit confused.  What was she saying, "end this right here and now"?  End what?  Heero had no idea.

"I mean end whatever relationship we may have, or rather had, right now.  This is never going to work, not with Relena around or with not around, because either way your focus will always be on Relena's safety and general well-being, there is no room for me in there," explained Sylvia feeling her throat tighten and tears starting to threaten her eyes.  "We should just go our separate ways right now."

"Sylvia…" Heero started to say.

"No, don't say anything Heero, just turn around and go into the kitchen the others are in there waiting for their interrogation from you.  All I can tell you right now is that Lynn took Relena to the train station, but I don't know where she is going," Sylvia interrupted as she looked away from Heero and pointed at the kitchen door.  She couldn't bear to look at Heero, not now.

Deciding not to pursue the matter any further Heero went into the kitchen to find the twins and Draca sitting at a small kitchen table playing poker with chex mix.  They all turned to see Heero.

"Uh…um hey Heero, how's it going?  Pull up a chair," offered Adam nudging out an empty seat between himself and Draca.

"Where is Relena?" Heero demanded going straight to the point.

Any advantage the three thought that they may have had was completely taken away by the looks of defeat on their faces.

"So, you know now," groaned Draca folding her cards in her hand and placing them face down on the table.

"Yeah."

"Well, then I guess I don't need to hide these babies from you anymore," grumbled Adam digging into his baggy jean pocket and pulling out the three ID bracelets and handing them to Heero.

Looking at the bracelets Heero saw 'Relena' engraved on one, 'Peacecraft' engraved on the next, and then 'Salimar' engraved on the last one.  The one big clue that had been missing from the box was now in his hand.

At that moment the front door opened, very quickly Heero left the kitchen and headed right to the front door.  There he found Lynn standing there removing her coat, completely oblivious of Heero's presence.

"Where is Relena going?" Heero immediately demanded of her, surprising Lynn.

"My, I didn't expect to see you here so soon," she told him.

"Answer my question!" he commanded, glaring at her.

"She's at the train station, her train leaves in about 20 minutes for Paris, France," Lynn answered Heero with a shrug.  "You won't get to her in time that I can assure you of."

"What makes you so certain?" inquired Heero.

"It takes 30 minutes to get to the train station," Lynn shrugged.

"That is only if you go by the speed limit and are not a Preventer," Heero pointed out as he exited the house and ran to the jeep.  Jumping into the front seat Heero quickly glanced at Duo.  "The train station, she's on her way to Paris in 20 minutes, so speed."

"Let's get after her then!" Duo exclaimed taking off, as he had never turned the car off.

In the back, Hilde kept silent as she had been throughout the entire journey to Italy.  It wasn't at all like her and it made Heero briefly wonder if she was having second thoughts about bringing Relena back

Pushing that idea out of his brain Heero sat stiffly in his seat for the next 20 minutes until they got to the train station, then he jumped out of the jeep and made a quick dash to the inside of the station with the other two Preventers following closely behind him.

Heero didn't stop running, not even when man collecting tickets asked for his, instead he just flashed his Preventer badge at the guy and continued on until he got to the rails where there were two trains already there and another one pulling in.  Three trains, three of them, and Relena could be on any of them.

"Duo, you check the far one, Hilde you check this new one, and I'll take the last one," Heero instructed and the three of them went into their respected trains.

Heero entered the nearest car and glanced around at the heads of the people there, no one that resembled Relena.  So he moved on to the next car, again there was no one there.  The next car had the same results, but the car after that he found someone.

Approaching the person from behind Heero took a seat next her.  "Did you think you could get away from me that easily, Relena?" he questioned, feeling a smirk coming to his features.

"Relena?  Who's Relena?" asked the person beside him in a deep, gravely voice that sounded more like it would belong to a man.  So Heero turned to find a female with moss green hair sitting beside him, and that person was _not_ Relena.

"Hn," grunted Heero noticing a person a few seats up get up and quickly walk off the train carrying a duffle bag.  Getting a stirring feeling in his gut that this person was indeed Relena, Heero followed his intuition and chased after the person.

When Relena would walk faster so did Heero, but he had to give her credit on not turning around to see if he had in fact noticed her.  But then the doors began to close and Relena made a dash out the nearest door.  Unluckily, when Heero got to the door it was already closed and he saw Relena facing him with her nearly shoulder length, blond hair and bright blue eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders and wave as the train began to move.

She was satisfied, Relena was very satisfied with herself.  She had gotten away from Heero once again and now she would be on her way away from Italy and away from Heero Yuy…

"If you are going to make an escape, you had better make certain that the doors connecting the cars are locked," that monotone voice advised Relena.

It made her want to cringe as she just stood there in defeat.

_I guess it is back to the office, long days, longer nights, the meetings, the press conferences, the tabloids, and everything else in between,_ Relena thought bitterly as she turned around to find Heero pointing his pistol at her.  "Going to fulfill your promise to kill me, Heero?  Impressive," Relena commented, slightly surprised but then she had to remind herself that this was _Heero._

Unexpectedly, Heero put the pistol away and grinned.  "Why should I when you had done my job for me, Ms. Reigns?" Heero asked as Duo and Hilde had came out of their respected trains.

"Relena…" gasped Hilde before she ran up and hugged her friend tightly.  Relena returned the embrace but kept her eyes on Heero.

"What do you mean Heero?" she demanded cautiously as she pried Hilde off of her.

"Relena Darlian-Peacecraft is no longer who she used to be, you killed her and have changed into Ms. Salimar Reigns," explained Heero.  "There is no reason for us to take you into politics."

A big smile grew on Relena's features just before Heero found himself being embraced by her and being kissed on the lips by Relena.  When she snapped out of whatever spell she had been under, Relena pulled away with a look of horror on her faces.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry about that I forgot that you and Sylvia were…" she trailed as Heero covered her mouth with a hand and shook his head.

"She called off the relationship," he told Relena.

"Really?  Why?" inquired Relena.

"Let's just say that she found out something that she couldn't deal with," Heero stated.

"Uh…excuse me, I would hate to interrupt this moment and all, but can we go and talk about the future else where?" Duo interrupted.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," agreed Relena.  "I know a great café that we could go to for a short while before I have to catch my plane to Russia."

"What are we waiting for then, let's go!" Duo grinned as he went ahead to Hilde and slinging an arm around her shoulder.

"You must be feeling pretty high and mighty about catching me," smirked Relena as she and Heero followed their friends.

"Your friends helped a bit," Heero answered.  Hesitantly Heero reached a hand under Relena's, her fingers clasped around Heero's hand and gave it a squeeze.  He had lost her and now he had found her again, but this time she was different and he was seeing no longer as a child but now as the woman she truly was.

OR….

Heero didn't stop running, not even when the man collecting tickets asked for his, instead he just flashed his Preventer badge at the guy and continued on until he got to the rails he saw a woman with moss green hair board a nearby train.

"Relena!" he called out as he ran for the car that she had just entered but the door closed in his face right when he got to the car.  Looking inside the car doors Heero watched as the girl sat down in an empty seat a few rows away from the door.

Heero felt the train begin to move and he also felt any victory he might have had slipping through his finger tips.  As the car began to pull out Heero followed, running after the car, banging on the door but the train would not stop.  When it cleared the station Heero felt like he was back at square one all over again.

"Hey buddy, looks like she left you a little something," Duo informed Heero as he approached the Preventer with an envelope.

Heero took the envelope and tore it open.  Unfolding the letter stored inside the envelope Heero read it swiftly.

**Dear Heero,**

**Well, was it everything you hoped for?  I had warned you not to continue searching for me, but you did and this is where it got you.  Will you now stop looking for me?  I doubt it.**

**Please don't press charges against my fellow band members, they were just helping me play out this little game.  Besides, they helped you out a lot more than you may be willing to give them credit for.**

**Heero, I want to be honest with you, you were one of my reasons for running away.  I think you have an idea of how deep my feelings for you are, but you know what?  I'm not going wait around any longer for you to suddenly become my knight in shining armor.  Instead I'm going to go on with my life and try to get over you.**

**You're welcome to come and look for me, but you're not going to find me, I'll make certain of that.**

**-Relena Salimar Darlian-Peacecraft-**

Crumbling up the letter Heero felt the beginnings of a smile coming onto his features.  "Let's get ourselves a flight to Paris," Heero told Hilde and Duo, both of which gave him bewildered expressions.  "We're going after her."

"Alright!" yelped Duo.

"What are we waiting for?  Let's get on our way to Paris!" Hilde agreed as she turned and ran out of the station with Duo close behind.

Heero lagged behind for a moment and gave the train station one last look before following after his companions.

What Heero failed to notice was a redhead with persian blue eyes sitting on a bench reading a book and eating a bit of beef jerky.  Then another approached her, this girl wore black, plastic glasses and had butt-length black hair, as well as a carefree air about her.

"Are you ready to go now, Relena?" asked the black haired girl.

"Quite so Joey, lead the way," nodded the redhead putting her book away.  "The game is still on."


End file.
